Too Many Secrets, Too Little Time
by Gina Callen
Summary: "You are not ready to know everything I know." Arkady had told him. It was the truth, but what would happen when Callen finds out what Arkady was keeping from him.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Arkady looked sadly at the anger and hurt on Callen's face.

This was not how it was supposed to go, why couldn't he understand it was and had always been for the safety of the Callen's.

"_**YOU LIED!**_" Callen yelled, causing Sam to step back in horror as the venom Callen was aiming towards a man, whom although he would not publicly admit to as friend had been one in all but name for as long as he had known both men.

Arkady looked sadly at Callen.

"I **_Never_ **lied, Everything I have told you is the truth….Especially the part where I told you you were not ready to know everything I knew yet."

"_**THIS** _is not something you should have kept from me….**_YOU KNEW_ **how important this was to me…." Callen turned away, he hadn't needed anyone before and he sure as hell didn't need anyone now.

Sam went to stand behind his partner, ready to back him up if needed while whatever this was played out.

* * *

He had been on the bridge of the large container ship (Arkady's yacht) as the coast guard took off the men who had stolen the ship and it's contents.

Callen and Arkady had been on the now deserted bridge while Kensi and Deeks freed the rest of the crew from a room in the crew quarters of the ship.

He had waved the helicopter away and as the sound of the helicopter receded he had heard raised voices from the bridge and fearing that one of the terrorists had been missed he had ran up the stairs and found himself in the middle of what looked like a heated argument.

"Callen….I…." Arkady reached to touch him on the shoulder.

"Don't!" Callen pulled away and walked to the large main window looking out at the turbulent see that mirrored his thoughts right now.

* * *

How could Arkady know but he hadn't…? How long had Arkady been watching him?

The most pressing question was _Why_ hadn't he told him?

Arkady shot a 'give him some space' look to Sam who glowered at the Russian.

"How long?" Callen asked looking at the phone in Arkady's hand and the picture on it.

"Since before she was born," Arkady admitted.

"Does...does she know….about me?" he asked still not looking at him.

"She does." Arkady said as Callen finally turned.

Sam was shocked as his partners eyes brimmed with tears.

"And does she know who you are?...I mean who you are to me?" He asked.

Arkady nodded, "I raised her."

"Every Time I have been at your home, every time we have worked together, every time we have talked….Not once did you bother to say anything!" He snapped.

"I...I needed you to ask me." Arkady said again reaching out for Callen who again took a step back.

"I did ask you." Callen snarled the anger evident to everyone in the room.

"No….no you didn't….You asked me if anyone had ever told me they were your father. I told you the truth, no one had ever introduced themselves to me as your father."

"That's semantics!" Callen snapped. "Of course no one would, then would have been the _perfect time_ for you to tell me!"

Arkady shook his head, "The perfect time for me maybe, but not for you….I meant what I said, this is what I was trying so hard to avoid….you are not ready to know everything yet."

"I know enough!" Callen snapped back.

"I now_ know_ my father is a spineless bastard who kept close enough to keep tabs on my life but couldn't take that one step to be there for me as a parent. You know what I would _**NEVER**_ knowingly do that to a child." He walked away almost pushing Sam out of the way in his haste to leave the bridge of the ship and get away from the Russian.

"Callen….I….I am sorry." Arkady said genuinely contrite.

"Slishkom malen'kiy, Slishkom pozdno!" Callen snapped and walked out leaving a devastated Arkady standing on the bridge holding onto a counter for support as his legs wanted to collapse under him and a confused but concerned Sam looking at his retreating back.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

"What did he say?" Sam asked turning to Arkady.

"Too little Too late." Arkady said, "I hope that he doesn't mean that."

Sam looked at the pallor on the other man's face.

"What the heck happened, I leave you two alone for five minutes and find you at each other's throats?"

Arkady shook his head, "I told you….I told you both, that I keep secrets that he didn't need to know, he wasn't ready to know, and now he's found out."

"Found out what?!" Sam nearly yelled in frustration.

"Callen has family...Now he knows he will want to see her, put her in danger. I cannot allow it." He looked around for his phone.

"Chert Voz'mi!" He swore, "I need to borrow your phone. I need to call Henrietta."

Sam handed Arkady his phone he pulled up Hetty's number.

"Mr. Hanna?" Hetty's voice could be heard over the speaker.

"Niet, Henrietta it is me, Callen knows...The ship is headed to the port in Los Angeles now. Can you meet us as the ship docks, he will need you."

Even with the phone pressed to Arkady's ear, Sam could hear the worry in Hettys' voice.

"How much does he know."

Arkady sighed, "All of it...Well, not the why, just the who."

"And Anna? Does he know about her?" Hetty asked.

Anna….Sam had heard that name before.

"Da." Arkady said and nodded.

"Oh Bugger." Hetty swore and Sam heard the sound of breaking China. "I'll have Miss Jones pick her up. If he knows he could do something …unwise."

"Thank you." Arkady replied a look of relief spreading across his face.

Hetty's voice shook slightly, "Does he know about me?"

"Niet. It was not pertinent to our conversation, you are still you."

"Good...I will be there when the ship docks." She replied, "Tell Mr. Hanna to keep an eye on him, I will speak to him when you dock."

"I think I've lost him." Arkady admitted his voice breaking slightly.

"He will come around, once he realizes what was at stake." Hetty reassured him. "Trust me Arkady."

"Don't I always Henrietta." Arkady replied and cut the call handing Sam back his phone.

"Please Agent Hanna, Callen may not talk, but right now he needs a friend and that cannot be me. I will not betray his confidence, but you need to know that all that has been done has been with his safety and the safety of the Callen line in mind."

Arkady moved as the captain of the ship walked in followed by Kensi and Deeks.

Sam watched as Arkady ordered the captain to turn the ship to dock in the port of Los Angeles, told Kensi and Deeks to watch him and headed out onto the rest of the ship in search of his wayward partner.

* * *

Sam smiled as he walked the length of the deck, finally spotting Callen.

"Kensi would have a fit if she knew you were standing there." He grinned walking up behind him.

"Sorry?" Callen was thrown for a second.

"Titanic, her favorite movie…'King of the world!'" Sam grinned.

Callens half hearted smile scared him, that and the way his partner was stood on the railing leaning out watching the water part in front of the ship.

"G...you wanna talk?" Sam asked leaning nearby but not too close.

Callen shook his head, but couldn't stop himself he talked anyway.

"I have known Arkady since I was about twenty. I thought we were friends...well you know, maybe not friends...but...damn...Sam...I trusted him."

"What happened?" Sam prodded gently.

"When you took the terrorists off for the coastguard to pick up, Arkady had to take off his jacket…. "I didn't know she had given it to him...it had been so long…"

Sam waited and Callen pulled out what looked like a medallion.

"I gave this to her when I left...I didn't want to go, but…" he rubbed it gently between his thumb and fingers.

"Then the girl...Anna...my...she looks just like her, she's had her whole life with him, a whole life without me, I missed out on so much."

"You aren't making any sense G, come on, get down from there and sit here, tell me properly."

"I...I can't…" Callen got down, but something Sam had said a while before struck him.

"You were right Sam...I'm not father material. I'm not son material...hell, I sometimes wonder how you let me near Kamran and Aiden."

"When have you wondered that?" Sam asked, "You are a great uncle, I trust you with my children's lives."

Callen let out a sour laugh. "You shouldn't."

For a moment a look of fear crossed Sam's face, "Have you hurt my kids?"

"Not yet."

"G?" Sam growled worried.

"But one day, when they need me I'm not going to be there, I'm gonna let them down. If I can't be there for my own kid how can I guarantee that I'm there for yours."

"You don't have kids G. you don't understand, they don't need you to be perfect, just to be there."

Callen jumped to his feet and paced, he looked towards the port and wished that by willing he could get there faster.

"That's just it…." He snapped. "I wasn't...I never checked, I should have checked, I should have looked harder for them. I should have been there!"

"Who?" Sam asked worried about his partners behavior.

"Anna...Anna and Lizzy."

Callen slumped to the deck and put his head in his hands, "How could he….it's bad enough he didn't tell me about….but them...how could he do it to them. I should have been there."

Sam was shocked at the tears in Callen's eyes, he looked around to make sure they were alone.

"G...tell me." Sam pushed.

"I met Lizzy when I was twenty. I had just left He...where I was staying, finding my own feet and was in college."

Lizzy was a Freshman and I was a Junior. We literally ran into each other."

Callen thought back to that sunny fall day when Elizabeth Rusakova had literally fallen into his lap.

* * *

He was lugging his US Navy sea bag he had borrowed from a friend full of his books and belongings towards his dorm room when a girls voice screamed in warning.

"_**LOOK OUT**_!"

He turned as he collided with an armful of 5ft blonde.

"OOF!" he grunted as he fell backwards landing on his butt with the said girl in his lap.

She turned her green eyes and bright smile towards him and he was hooked.

"Sorry...Oh my God are you ok? I didn't break you did I?" she asked trying to get back up on her rollerskates and failed falling back into his lap again.

"Yep…" he smirked, "You broke me so now you bought me…."

She laughed and he thought it was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard.

"Callen." he said helping her up and steering her to a nearby bench.

"Callen?" she asked.

He smiled, "My name." he explained.

She smiled, "Like Prince….just one word...Cool! or Madonna...but you're not a woman."

Callen laughed, "Not the last time I checked." he agreed.

"Oh...er...Lizzy...Lizzy Rusakova."

"Russian?" he asked.

"My parents." she shrugged. "Me...I'm from Maine."

"East coast girl?" Callen nodded appreciatively as he looked her over, just to make sure she was unhurt, he told himself.

'_LIAR_!' the voice in the back of his head screamed and he smirked in spite of himself.

"Let me buy you dinner, like a thank God I didn't kill you meal!" she grinned.

He bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Sure."

He placed his bag down and helped her stand up, "Ouch." she exclaimed.

He looked down, "Looks like you twisted it, do you have far to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm the other side of campus."

"My dorm is right here, I have a first aid kit, let's strap you up and get you back to your dorm."

He reached down and gently undid her skates, gently stroking her ankle to see if it was broken.

"It looks twisted, but not broken." he told her with authority.

She grinned, "Studying for a medical degree?" she asked.

"Nope, just had my fair share of broken bones."

"Oh...adrenaline junkie?" she asked.

For a second his face clouded over, "Something like that." he said.

He wrapped his arm around her waist.

He couldn't help but grin insanely as he gently helped her back to his dorm room.

* * *

For the next two years they were inseparable, making plans and studying, She even moved into Callen's dorm room.

All of their friends thought they would end up and old married couple. Lizzy working on her teaching degree and Callen on Criminology and Justice. She saw him as a cop and herself as a kindergarten teacher, raising a whole parcel of kids with a dog.

Callen had just graduated and they had moved into off campus housing, He wanted to stay near her until she graduated as well.

She came home and dropped her bag on the sofa.

"G?" She called, "Something smells nice, are you cooking?"

Callen laughed as she walked up behind him in the kitchen and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Hey baby." he said distractedly.

"You ok?" She asked sensing a change in him.

Callen looked out of the window onto the plain brick wall that served as a view from the small kitchen in their apartment.

"Yeah. I made burgers." He put on a smile and turned to her pulling her into his arms.

"You….Made burgers?" she asked suspiciously.

Callen laughed, "Ok I bought burgers and I grilled them." he admitted.

She kissed him and walked over to her bag, "No homework tonight."

"Nice." he set out the table and placed the two mismatched plates with the burger and salad on them on the table, opening two beers he placed them on the table beside the food.

"G!" Lizzy exclaimed, "I'm not twenty one yet!"

"It's just one...I...I have some news, I got a job….well I got accepted into FLETC." he grinned.

She ran into his arms and kissed him, "Congratulations...What's FLETC?"

"Federal Law Enforcement Training Center." He told her, "I was talking to a friend and She suggested that I should join maybe become a federal Agent."

"Cool...Where is it?" Lizzy asked taking a drink from her beer.

"Washington D.C." he said.

Her face fell, "D.C? As in the other side of the country? How...how long for?" she asked tearing up.

"Not long...Six months that's all."

"Six...Months….G! That's half a year!" Lizzy cried.

Callen drank the rest of his drink down and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's just six months honey, I'll be back." Callen argued, "I'll never leave you. You know that."

She did and she held him and that night they made love, neither wanting to be apart from the other again.

A few weeks later Callen left for FLETC, Lizzy and Callen talked every night for the first 2 months. Then Callen was sent for intensive training.

When he got back he tried to get in touch with Lizzy but he couldn't get hold of her. After 3 more weeks of trying he was able to get away for a weekend and caught a flight back out to Los Angeles.

Running up the stairs to their apartment he pulled the key out of his pocket and slipped it in the lock.

"LIZZY!" he called….he stopped as his voice echoed in the empty apartment.

She had gone.

He walked around their empty apartment, all that was left were a few boxes, all with his things in them. He moved one box and saw the medallion that he had given her underneath one of the boxes.

At that his heart broke.

He threw the things he didn't need in the trash and cleaned out the last of his stuff sending it to goodwill.

Leaving the medallion hanging over the window lock on the one window that could be seen from the street he turned and walked away not noticing the man in the car watching as Callen wiped a stray tear, put on a mask of indifference and headed back to the airport to fully immerse himself in what would be his new life.

* * *

Callen turned to Sam, "She was my first love and she left me. I had no idea...I left the medallion in the window of our apartment, he had is Sam. My...Arkady had it in his pocket, he knew the whole time I knew him...He knew and never told me."

"What didn't he tell you?" Sam asked.

Callen laughed sourly, "A hell of a lot of things Sam, most importantly he didn't tell me about Lizzy...he didn't tell me he took her away and that he knew that she was pregnant."

He looked broken as he looked up as the man he was proud to call brother.

"I'm a father Sam, I have a twenty year old daughter. Her Name is Anna Callen-Rusakova."

He pulled the picture up on Arkady's phone of the young woman on the bench, He smiled as he showed Sam, "That's Anna...my daughter...That's what Arkady was hiding...his granddaughter."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sam looked at his partner in shock.

"Are you sure G?" he asked.

Callen stood up and walked to the railing as the boat started it's slow slide into port.

"Yeah. I asked him where he got the medallion and who the woman in the picture was and he told me...after some pushing." Callen admitted sadly. "Lizzy was her mom. He had moved her when he found out she was pregnant to protect the baby."

"From who?" Sam asked getting up and following his partner, leaning on the rail next to him.

"The Comescu's."

"So Arkady was doing a good thing? He kept them safe right?" Sam argued, he knew that despite what both men said, Arkady and Callen had a friendship that he didn't want his friend to lose.

"No." Callen turned and looked at Sam. "It wasn't his call to make. Lizzy was my...would have been my wife, Anna is our child. He doesn't get to make those kinds of decisions for me anymore."

"Yeah I get that man, but if Lizzy was his daughter of course he would want to look out for her."

"She wasn't," Callen snapped not meeting his eyes.

"Oh…" Sam stopped and thought for a second. "But you said that Anna was his granddaughter, so I just assumed… So, she just calls him her grandfather?"

Callen shook his head, he didn't want to tell Sam...not before he could confirm it, but he had no choice.

"He is her grandfather...at least I think so...on my side."

"He's….?" Sam looked lost.

"Arkady is or was a Major in the KGB, He _was _Major Nikita Alexsandr Reznikov. He knew Lizzy as her father was a Major as well, Major Alexi Rusakova. But he was here watching me."

"Arkady is your father?" Sam was shocked and it was evident in his voice, not at the fact that Arkady was the elusive Nikita, but that he hadn't seen it before.

The eyes and nose were the same, the way both men would deflect with humor when in a tense situation...the smirk was the same.

He was a trained investigator and he hadn't seen it...Then again Callen hadn't either.

"You ok with that man?" He asked placing a comforting hand on G's shoulder.

Callen tensed and turned to face his partner.

"Exactly _what _about this should I be okay with?" he asked with an incredulous look on his face.

Sam stepped back feeling the tension coming off this man. "You _wanted _this, you wanted to know where your family was."

"I wanted a father, not a man who had been on my sidelines my whole life, been orchestrating things about my life, hell I even used his house like my own but _**never **_did he tell me he was my father and he knew how much I wanted it." Callen's eyes watered and he grimaced as he tried to keep from totally losing it. "I asked him once Sam...do you know what he said?"

Sam shook his head,

"He said no one had _**ever**_ introduced themselves as my father….He _**lied**_!"

Sam understood his partners reasoning but also understood where Arkady was coming from.

"He didn't lie." He argued.

Callen laughed derisively, "A lie of omission is still a lie."

Sam looked over the side as the crew tied the ship up to the bollards.

"Hetty is down there." he said.

Callen nodded and turned towards the bridge, "We had better go find Kensi, Deeks and _him_ then."

Not waiting for Sam's reply he walked off to find them, he still had some unfinished business with Arkady, the most pressing of all was the whereabouts of his daughter.

* * *

Arkady sat in the bridge as Kensi and Deeks got their gear together, "Eric called, Hetty is meeting us on the dock, we'll be able to get off in a minute or two." Deeks said with a grin at Kensi looking forward to getting off the ship and getting home.

Kensi nudged him looking over at Arkady, "You think whatever is going on between him and Callen will be sorted soon?" She whispered.

Deeks nodded, "I hope so, I wish we could help."

"Maybe Sam has talked to him."

Callen walked in the room and Arkady sat up, turning his attention to the younger man.

"Moy Syn…?" Arkady said.

"No!" Callen spat. "You don't get to say that."

Kensi and Deeks looked confused.

Callen picked up his tactical vest and his rifle he reached over from the map desk and took out a pen and a piece of paper. "Just give me her address." he said holding them out to him.

"No." Arkady smirked, "I can be just as stubborn moy syn, you need to talk to myself and to your Hetty. You need to know…"

Callen laughed coldly. "_Now!_ Now I need to know?" He shook his head and turned for the door, "You have nothing I ever want to hear. Just tell me where they are, that is all I want from you."

"You need to understand, you need to hear my side of the story, understand why I did what I did!"

Callen shook his head, a part of him wanted to know but more than anything he wanted to find Lizzy and meet Anna, it had been too long, she knew about him, but what had Arkady told her about him, would it be too late for them now?

His heart hurt, thoughts and memories of Lizzy the only woman he had ever truly loved assailed his brain. He felt guilty, Joelle was right now on her way home from school. Her job over for the day hoping he would go and visit and spend time with her. Now he knew though, he had never loved her the way he had loved Lizzy. Maybe there was a chance, if she hadn't married...maybe she would understand and forgive him.

"Just tell me where they are...Arkady, please...where is Lizzy…?"

Arkady took a key out of his pocket, "I have carried this with me for years, she wanted you to know, she wouldn't have left if she didn't have to."

Callen recognised the brass key with a painted flower on it as the one for their shared apartment all those years ago.

"Where is she...please I need to know."

Callen looked almost pleadingly at Arkady's face, "If I never ask anything of you again...I ask this, tell me...please."

Arkady shook his head, "Anna is safe, she does not need to be put in danger."

"I would never…!" Callen said in shock, "Is it Lizzy? Does she blame me?"

He leaned against the map desk as the ship's engines finally turned off.

Kensi and Deeks not daring to move watched, but sensing something held hands.

"Does she hate me...Dammit Arkady I need to see her to tell her…"

"You can't." Arkady said flatly.

"You can't stop me!" Callen snapped back.

"Yes _**I**_ can." Arkady stood up nose to nose with Callen.

"You lost the right to tell me what to do years ago, now _**WHERE IS SHE**_?" he yelled in Arkady's face.

"Elizabeth is dead. She was killed by the Comescu's when Anna was 3 months old."

Callen was devastated. He sagged against the desk and slid to the ground.

"Dead?" He gasped, unashamedly allowing his tears to fall for the loss of his first love.

"G?" Sam moved towards him.

Callen stood up, stumbling slightly.

A loud clang was heard as the gangplank was lowered.

Sensing a way to escape Callen shot a crushed look of sorrow at Arkady and backed up.

"I need space, I need to get out of here...Sam…?" He asked hoping that Sam would understand and sort things out there.

"Go...I'll be around when you're ready." he said soothingly.

Without another word Callen turned and fled the ship.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Callen all but bolted down the gangplank and off of the ship as Hetty stood quietly waiting outside her car.

She saw the distress in her eyes and her heart hurt for him.

"Mr. Callen!" she called.

Callen pulled to a stop, looked at the woman whom he had come to think of as a mother and shook his head, he couldn't talk to her now.

"Callen!" she called again the worry apparent in her tone.

Callen climbed into his car and drove away.

Hetty wanted to follow but she turned as back to the ship as Arkady and the team walked down the gangplank.

"Mr Kolcheck?" She asked at the look on his face.

He shook his head.

"Oh Bugger." She sighed.

Sam walked up to Hetty, "Did you see G?" he asked.

She nodded, "He left, I assume he told you what was bothering him?"

Sam nodded glaring at Arkady, "He told me enough." he snapped, then he shook his head, "I'm sorry Hetty, it's just not fair on him."

Hetty nodded absently.

"Mr. Hanna will you take Mr. Kolcheck to the boatshed, I will be along presently to talk to him." She turned to the older man. "If you wish to be able to salvage anything from this, you will not give Mr. Hanna any trouble and you _will_ wait for us."

Arkady smirked, "Henrietta, when have I not be compliant?" He asked spreading his palms wide and looking innocent.

Hetty sighed and smiled, "You are both so much alike." She waited as Kensi and Deeks came down the gangplank and stepped onto dry land.

"Miss Blye, Mr. Deeks I need you to go to pick up a young lady and bring her to the boatshed."

"No!" Arkady shook his head, "I will not allow it, it is too dangerous."

"Arkady," Hetty said placing a hand on his arm gently, "They are going to meet, is it not better we let them do it in a safe place rather than out in the open?"

Arkady sighed, "You are always right." He took a piece of paper and a pen out of his pocket, "She is here." he said writing down the address for them.

"Who are we picking up?" Deeks asked.

"Her name is Anna Rusakova, show her your badges and tell her that Arkady and Hetty both want her to come with you." Arkady said.

Kensi and Deeks nodded and headed off, as did Sam and Arkady for the boathouse.

Hetty climbed into her car and turned it in the direction she knew Callen would be in.

"One day, Mr. Callen, you won't give me all these sleepless nights and grey hairs." she said to herself as she adjusted her rearview mirror to reverse her car off the dock and in search of her wayward agent.

* * *

Callen drove around for an hour, until he was nearly hit as he missed a stop sign.

Thanking anyone who was listening that no one was hurt and that there hadn't been a cop around he decided he really wasn't that safe to drive so he headed home.

He pulled lopsided into his driveway and walked into his house, not even thinking he headed directly into the kitchen, pulled a beer out of the refrigerator and walking into his bare living room pulled the ever present tea box from his mantel piece. Taking another swig from the bottle he put that in place of the tea box, moved to the floor and opened the box.

He had the small piece of paper that he had taken from Arkady along with the key to his first apartment.

Finally opening what he could now see as a newspaper cutting he took the time to look at it properly.

_Elizabeth Rusakova. Born May 17th 1974 - Died January 13th 1996._

_It is with sadness that the family of Elizabeth Rusakova announce her passing. Her funeral will be private at Chapel of the Pines Rest home. She is survived by her mother Christina Rusakova and her daughter Anna._

He looked at the second piece of paper, 'Kidnapped woman slain, body found in LA River.'

He read the article, it wasn't very descriptive, mostly that missing Elizabeth Rusakova had been found by a transient early the morning before, that she had been missing for a week and there were no leads.

One word was written in the bottom of the article in pen, in the right hand corner, 'Comescu'.

He folded that over and placed it in his box, and instead looked at the picture of the young woman with the long blonde hair that had captured his heart when he was younger.

Rubbing the key absently in his hand he replayed scenes from their youth in his head, notably his last night with her, the way she had laughed and cried as she had said goodbye to him. Him promising to be back from Fletc as soon as he could. Not realizing that that night when he made love to her he had left her with more than just his heart.

* * *

"He cares about you, He only did what he thought was right, for your safety and theirs." Hetty said standing in the doorway watching his back as it rose and fell in shuddering breaths.

"He knew, he's been in my life for about as long as you have, but not once did he tell me and he's known about my search for my father. Why didn't he tell me when Reinhardt was shot?"

"I don't know." She replied softly, she had asked herself that question when he had just walked out of the room that day leaving Callen with the name of his father, but not the answers that his son so desperately wanted and he had.

"You need to come with me." she said quietly.

Callen shook his head, "I need to work through this, I need to get it straight in my head. I want to know why he pretended to be my friend, why he didn't just tell me the truth?"

Callen put the clipping and the key in the box and shut the lid.

"If he didn't want to be my father, why didn't he just tell me to go away, why allow me the run of his home? Why didn't he tell me about Anna?"

"So many _'Why's'_ Mr. Callen, but you won't find the answers in that box. Many many things have happened to you in your life, some good...some not so good, but those who have watched over you have always endeavored to do the right thing." Hetty said walking to his side and holding her hand out.

Callen held her hand for a moment and then stood up, picking the box up and turning to the door.

"Did you ever regret it?" he asked.

She stopped shocked; what was he alluding too? Did he know?

It took all the strength she had to ask her next question, "Did I ever regret what Mr. Callen?"

"Taking me out of the system, letting me come and live with you...saving me?" he asked.

She felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. She smiled and patted his arm. "Not for a moment Mr. Callen...not even when you took all my kitchen appliances apart."

Callen smiled for a moment.

"I need to go Hetty, I need to find my daughter."

"I need you to come with me first...please." Hetty said.

Something in her tone threw him off and he nodded, "Of course, but I really need to do this today."

She smiled and hit the button on the central locking for her car, "Come along Mr. Callen, I'll drive."

* * *

Arriving at the boatshed Callen looked at Hetty inquisitively. "Why are we here?"

"To get the answers to your_ why's_ Mr. Callen." Hetty said enigmatically.

They walked in and Callen tensed up as Arkady looked up from the couch.

"I don't want to talk to him." Callen snapped turning to Hetty.

"Mr. Callen...please, listen to him." Hetty said pulling out a chair for him.

Callen sat sullenly and glared at Arkady.

**_"Pozhaluysta, pozvol'te mne ob"yasnit'." _**Arkady said quietly.

"Fine."

Arkady took the coffee that Sam placed on the table for both men and a already brewed tea for Hetty and sat next to Callen with a nod of support.

"Allow me to explain my actions Callen, I hope you can understand and forgive me."

"Forgive you?" Callen replied.

Arkady nodded, "Everything I have ever done was to keep your mother, you, your sister, Elizabeth and Anna safe." he stated.

"Well you didn't do very well at that." Callen snapped, instantly feeling guilty at the pain on his father's face.

Arkady nodded, he took the blame for their deaths as he had all those years ago when they had died, but for now Callen was listening and Arkady was going to tell his story.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

Anna sighed as she looked at her phone again.

Still nothing.

It had been 5 hours since the text from her Grandfather which told her to basically watch her back, using the code words he had taught her from a child. Annoyingly as usual he had 'forgotten' to tell her who or what she was keeping herself safe from this time, but she was carrying her gun and knife.

However walking out to her car she noticed the two people who got out of a silver car and seemed to be overly interested in her.

"Anna Rusakova?" The blond man said walking towards her.

A jolt of fear ran through her and she turned and ran. The blond man and the brunette woman chased after her.

"NCIS! STOP!" The woman shouted.

Anna skidded to a halt and turned as they showed their badges.

"You are?" She panted as she put her hands on her knees and pulled her gun from the small of her back, "Show me your identification!" she shouted.

"Whoa!" the blond man shouted putting his hands up halfway to show he wasn't holding a gun. "Ok, ok….We aren't going to hurt you, I'm going to get my credentials alright?"

She nodded. "Ok...Slowly…"

"Arkady Kolcheck and Hetty Lange sent us." The brunette said and Anna turned to her.

"Describe Hetty to me." she snapped.

"Four feet of ninja stealthy fury?" The blond man said with a grin.

Anna laughed, "That about covers it." She lowered her gun. "I am sorry, but my Grandfather told me I should be careful today and I didn't know who you were."

"Marty Deeks and Kensi Blye NCIS."

"Anna Rusakova, but you know that." She smiled her blue eyes clouded with worry, "What's wrong, I haven't been able to get hold of either Hetty or my Grandfather for hours,"

"We need to take you somewhere safe." Kensi told her.

Anna nodded and following them got into the car.

She sat in the back listening to them banter and smiled.

"So...How long have you two been together?" she smirked.

"I...me...we...what?!" Deeks spluttered.

Kensi laughed, "A few months, but we've been partners for a few years." she admitted. "How long have you known Hetty?"

Anna looked out of the window, "Practically my whole life. She helped look after me after my mother died."

"She did?" Deeks was surprised.

"Yea...so where are we going?"

"The Marina, we have a safe house...sorta there," Deeks replied.

Anna nodded as Deeks turned in the passenger seat to talk to her. "Is my Grandfather there?" she asked.

"Who is your Grandfather?" Kensi asked.

"Arkady Kolcheck."

Kensi nodded, "He's there."

Anna sighed "Oh thank God, I know I am an adult, but I love him and I really don't want to lose him too."

Kensi nodded as she drove.

"How old are you?" Deeks asked.

"Twenty three, How old are you?" she winked at him and shot a smirk at Kensi who recognizing the teasing smiled.

"I...er...old enough." Deeks spluttered and Kensi let out a laugh.

"Ok, 'Old guy' How long till we're there?" Anna asked pulling out her cell phone from her bag.

"About 5 mins...but honestly, you're 23 and asking are we there yet?!" Deeks smirked. "Bet you were a handful to your parents."

Anna shot him a hurt look, "My mother died when I was three months old and I've never met my father."

Deeks nodded thinking he understood, "Dead beat dad huh, I get that."

Anna looked livid, "I'll have you know my father is a brave man, he works for the government to keep people safe, it is just that so many people want to kill him and me that it's safer if he doesn't know I exist, but I know all about him and you are not half the man he is!" she snapped. She folded her arms and looked out of the window trying to control her emotions as they pulled into the Marina's parking lot.

Getting out of the car and slamming the door Anna leaned against it waiting for the others.

Kensi turned to Deeks as she switched off the ignition and put the handbrake on.

"Nice move." She said to him.

"How was I supposed to know her father worked for the government?" Deeks asked.

"I feel like we are missing something huge here." Kensi agreed as they climbed out of the car, she turned to Anna, "This was Miss Rusakova."

Anna followed as they entered the boatshed.

* * *

Callen sat back as Arkady started.

"I met your mother in 1963, she was a CIA spy sent to infiltrate the KGB. I was tasked with killing US spies."

"But you didn't?" Callen asked, already...obviously, knowing the answer.

Arkady smiled, "No...I did not. Your mother, Clara, was different. I did not know she was American when I met her. She was undercover as Amelia Calinescu. She was a waitress in a cafe just off Red square I used to go to every lunchtime and we started talking one day and I fell for her."

Callen looked at the sad, but full of love look on Arkady's face when he talked about his mother.

"I knew she was CIA before we got married. She knew about my work helping people escape from the East to the West, it was a different time moy syn, people were more suspicious, like now with the Al Qaeda. She helped me get Hans Schreiber and his family out of Germany reuniting him with his wife who was Russian. We did this for four years, Clara and I married and we had your sister Amelia, named after your mother's undercover name to remind us."

Callen wanted to ask his name, but he was worried he would throw his father...Arkady off so he stayed silent but held his hand out as Arkady took a picture of his mother from out of his wallet, she was sitting on the same swing Amy had been on when he had watched the film strip of his father, his sister and himself as a baby.

She was looking at the camera and placing a kiss on the head of the baby.

"Amy?" he asked.

"No Callen, that is you." Arkady confirmed as Callen gulped and fought back a tear, his index finger tracing her face where she was kissing him.

"What…" Callen coughed to clear his throat, "What happened, at the beach? Where were you?"

"We were betrayed, a General in the KGB was friends with a Frenchman, Marcel Janvier, he knew your mother was CIA and sold her out. I was arrested but not before I had Alexi Rusakova my friend help take you, your sister and your mother on the last group we helped escape from Russia. I stayed behind to make sure everyone made it out. We had planned to meet up in Constanta, but I never made it, I was arrested and sent to a labor camp in Siberia."

Callen nodded that he knew.

"Clara and Alexi made it as far as Romania, Clara contacted her handler, but Janvier told the Comescu's who she was and watched as she was killed."

"How did I get to America...do you know?" Callen asked.

"Of course moy syn, Alexi took you and Amelia with his wife as their children, only Janvier and the Comescu's followed, so they had to place you into the American child welfare system to hide you."

"But Amy had her name, why wasn't I given mine?" Callen asked unable to hold the question in any longer.

"But you were placed with your name, I have never understood why you insist on using that initial." Arkady replied.

"Because all it said on my bag G. Callen. but I had no first name."

Arkady sighed, "Your name was Callen Reznikov, just as your sisters was Amelia Calin Reznikov."

Callen nodded, he couldn't say anything he felt like he was choking, maybe this was that choked with emotion thing Nate had talked about.

"I do not know what happened to you on the beach, by the time I made it to America, Alexi was dead and I couldn't find either of you, Christiana didn't know where you were and she was raising Elizabeth alone and couldn't help with my search. I used my contacts it wasn't until I found my...a friend, I went searching for you but you had been arrested and i couldn't get to you."

Callen nodded, he remembered that time, just before Hetty took him in.

"So my friend watched over you until I was able to meet you myself, as Arkady." Arkady leaned back and spread his arms wide, palms upturned, "See so I never lied, no one had ever introduced themselves to you as my father." he smirked.

"Why?" Callen asked looking him straight in the eye, "When you met me why did you just not say you were my father?"

"You remember how we met moy syn?"

Callen nodded, "I was CIA and investigating you and the Russian Mafia."

"Exactly, it was one of your first assignments….with...Gibbs, yes?"

Callen nodded, it had been a joint NIS and CIA assignment.

"What would you have said if I introduced myself to you as your father then?" Arkady asked.

Callen sighed as he realized then what Arkady meant for him needing to know things at the proper time. "I would not have believed you, I just thought I was American, I would have arrested you."

"Exactly, instead I proved my innocence, became your friend and let you judge how much you got to know me at your own pace."

Callen nodded again, damn Arkady was right….but then… "Why didn't you tell me about my daughter and Lizzy?"

"How could I?" Arkady asked, "How could I explain that I was protecting your girl and your daughter from the Comescu's without explaining who I am, I have watched over that child her whole life, I was there with my sister and comforted her as her mother died, we brought her up and she is….."

Arkady stopped as the main door opened and voices came from out of sight.

* * *

"SO...Where is he, I swear if you are lying to me…" The woman's voice stopped as Anna walked into the main room.

"Grandfather!" she exclaimed as she ran towards him and threw her arms around him, "I was so worried."

"Malyutka, I am fine...I have been in some wonderful company." Arkady grinned as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah well I got the life scared out of me by these two Feds...who…" Anna turned and caught sight of the man sitting at the table.

He was a lot older than the well worn picture in her bag, his hair was shorter, but his eyes were the same. The look of shock on his face was a mirror of hers as tears started to prick her eyes.

"Daddy?" she asked in a voice just above a whisper.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Daddy?" Anna asked again, looking at her Grandfather to see if she was actually looking at the man she thought she was.

Callen turned and stood.

"Anna?" he asked.

With tears falling down her face she nodded.

Callen looked dumbstruck, his first instinct was to hold her tight and never let her go, but would she want that? After all they'd never met before now.

He looked towards her uncertain in his next move. He shot a look of panic in Sam's direction, as if he could read his mind, Sam nodded.

"Anna…" Callen choked, he moved his arms slightly, hesitant.

"_**DADDY**_!" Anna sobbed, she swiftly moved into his direction and instinctively, Callen wrapped his arms around her.

Anna didn't think to care what others thought of a twenty three year old woman calling her father, Daddy. All she knew was that she was finally with her father.

He held her as she cried, his own eyes welled up and threatened to betray his resolve to be strong for her. He took in her perfume and smiled.

"You wear the same perfume as your mother," he said softly.

Anna looked up at him with tear filled eyes, she gave him a shaky smile back, and coughed. Her hold on him tightened as she mumbled into his chest.

"What, honey?" Callen asked, hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounds.

"Are you going to stay now, or do you have to go back undercover. Grandfather told me you worked with the government and it wasn't safe for you to be with me….Is it safe now?" She asked looking hopefully into his eyes.

To be honest Callen didn't know if there were anymore Comescu's out there, he didn't know if it was really safe. But one thing he did know and that was more important to him than anything else, he would never leave her now.

"I will never leave you again, I promise."

At that moment Callen was grateful to Arkady for not telling her he hadn't wanted to be in her life. Instead he had obviously told her good things about him.

Sam shot Callen a worried look, he knew this might be a promise his partner couldn't keep, but he knew where Callen was coming from.

Callen led Anna to the couch to sit, "You know about me then?" He asked knowing he should introduce his daughter to his workmates who had suddenly found other things in the building to do. But he just wanted to know everything about her and keep her all to himself.

* * *

Kensi and Deeks had watched the exchange between father and daughter with mixed feelings.

Deeks looked on realizing that Callen had had a child and he had never mentioned her. Perhaps he was a deadbeat dad like his father.

Alright, he knew Callen would never hurt her, no matter how old a child she was, but to abandon her and not be around for twenty three years of her life was just unfair.

Okay, Anna had said she knew it was because of the job, but Deeks wasn't sure he believed that. Especially when Sam had his kids at home.

His gut churned as Callen enveloped his child in his arms and a brief strike of jealousy shot through him. He wished he'd had some of that comfort with his own father.

He turned wanting to give them privacy. Needing some space of his own, he headed out past the interrogation rooms, shooting Hetty a small pained look, as he walked out the back door. Hetty nodded to him in understanding.

Kensi biting back a few tears, remembered her own father and thought about how much she would have loved to be reunited with him even now. She turned so no one could see the tears in her eyes, she noticed Hetty down the corridor near the interrogation rooms.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Hetty nodded but said nothing, as she continued watching Anna and Callen talk.

"It's a good sight to see," Kensi said and Hetty nodded.

"It is heartwarming Ms. Blye."

"He didn't know did he?" she said trying not to eavesdrop on the conversation going on in the other room.

"No. No he didn't, it was safer for him and her that way," Hetty confirmed.

"You should go after Mr. Deeks, I think he could use your help. Head home, we don't have any active cases now."

Kensi smiled and nodded, she headed out after her partner.

* * *

Callen sat just staring at his daughter nodding and where he could, answered her questions about him. He was amazed at the bright young woman who was a part of him.

"Tell me about you, Anna?" He asked.

She blushed, "I go to community college, I help Grandfather with his books, I am studying to be an accountant," she said shyly.

"An accountant?" Of all the things he could imagine a child of his doing, this hadn't been it.

Callen shot a look at Sam to warn him to stop smirking at the look of shock on his face. Sam turned away and moved to pour himself a coffee and to give them some space. Arkady walked over to them.

"Grandfather, I was worried, but you found him," she smiled.

"Yes I did," Arkady replied.

"Did you tell him how you are going to be a top accountant!" The pride in his voice was evident but Anna blushed.

"Grandfather, I'm not even top in my class!" she protested.

"I am still very proud of you," Arkady enthused.

Callen felt proud of her too, even though he had just met her. The fact that she was trying hard to learn and have a stable job, particularly one where she was far from danger or the need to carry a gun, made him happy.

There was a slight noise and Anna turned her face going from confusion to surprise as she spotted Hetty just in the corridor.

"Dad….Oh my God...She's here too!" Her face lit up and she pulled her father around, he looked at Hetty enquiringly. "Aunt Hetty!" she pulled Callen towards her and not wanting to actually let go of his daughter he followed.

"Look, Aunt Hetty….it's him...it's really him, my dad!"

Callen didn't want to upset his daughter so he put his hand out and politely shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you '_Aunt' _Hetty." He clipped out.

Hetty sighed, "I may need to explain Mr. Callen."

Callen bit the inside of his cheek and shot her a pissed look, "Ya think?"

He wanted to yell at her, as to how his daughter knew her but she hadn't told him. But nothing was going to spoil his childs impression of him.

Hetty saw the warning look in his eyes and recognised it for what it was and nodded, promising a conversation for later.

Anna looked at the silent conversation going on between them.

"You know each other?"

Callen smiled, "Hetty is my boss." He explained not wanting to lie to her.

Anna hugged the smaller woman, "Thank you for keeping him safe aunt Hetty."

"So…._Aunt_?" Callen asked with a slight smirk, normally he would have been angry, hurt...but right now he was with his child, nothing could make him feel bad. However he needed to know and the anger of not knowing was starting to eat away at him inside.

Hetty guided him back to the couch and motioned for him to sit.

"Anna, why don't you and your Grandfather go with Mr. Hanna and get something for us all to eat. I need a while with your father." she said softly.

Anna nodded, "Sure, you want your usual?" she asked her aunt.

Hetty nodded, "I'll tell you what to get G." Sam said grateful to be doing something useful.

* * *

As soon as the doors closed Callen lept to his feet.

"**_YOU KNEW!_**" He yelled.

Hetty looked down and nodded, "I need to explain Mr. Callen, please sit and allow me the courtesy of being able to do so."

"You have too many secrets about me, you've kept too many from me...what else haven't you told me?" he snapped.

Hetty sat down and Callen was shocked at the look on her face.

She looked old.

"Your mother…. was my niece, your grandmother was my sister. I never told you before as I couldn't."

"Couldn't or_ wouldn't_?" Callen asked as the pain and injustice of knowing that she was actually family coursed through him.

"I couldn't, had I publicly come out and acknowledged you as my great nephew I would have put you in more danger than you were already in from the Comescu's. I have made my own enemies over time and only the fact that they thought I had no family kept you safe."

"What about when you took me in at fifteen?" Callen asked, "You could have told me then?"

Hetty chuckled. "At fifteen if I had told you, would you have believed me? You were willing to come with me, but it was a good few years before you trusted me. By that time, had I told you, it would have destroyed all the trust we had built between us. By the time you joined NCIS and I got closer to you again, I couldn't tell you and officially I still can't; if it comes out that we are blood related, you may be taken from my team. I made a promise, to your mother and to Elizabeth, that I would keep both you and Anna safe, and although you may doubt my methods, that has ultimately been my goal."

"So I have to pretend you_ aren't_ my family?" Callen asked feeling rejected again.

Hetty shook her head, "I am as much your family now as I was before, nothing...I hope will change between us."

Callen looked at her incredulously, "Nothing will change between us…" he agreed. "Not in front of Anna, I don't want her upset in any way, but I don't trust you anymore." He let out a cold laugh, "You were right about me not trusting you when I found out...what other secrets do you have on me Hetty?"

She shook her head sadly.

"We both, your father and I did what we did to keep you safe, for your mother's sake and your daughters." Hetty argued.

"You can tell Vance…" Callen said turning his back to her, "I won't be coming back to work, my daughter needs me, if she didn't care so much about both you and Arkady I would make sure that neither of you saw her again, but you both had her long enough to make sure that wouldn't happen didn't you."

Hetty stood shaking her head, "That wasn't our intention."

"Stealing my child and not telling me about her, allowing her to grow up without me so she knew and trusted both of you wasn't your intention?" Callen asked disbelievingly.

"We were doing what was best." Hetty argued.

"_BEST FOR **WHO**_?" Callen shouted. "Best for_ Anna_? To grow up as an orphan, like i did_ without_ parents to tell her they loved her? Best for _me_? To make me think my whole life I had no family, no one who loved me? Tell me Hetty…..Best for _who_?" Callen let out a deep breath. "I can't do this…." He walked to the door.

"Tell Sam to bring Anna to my house, I want to talk to her, be there for her. But you...Arkady….you were my blood, my family, and you left me in the wind. Well I sure as hell _will_ be there for my daughter, even though she is a grown woman who has her own mind and she will most probably want to see you both. But you will _**Never**_ see me again, I've had enough of the secrets!"

Callen stormed out of the door as Hetty clutched her heart and crumpled onto the couch letting out a gasp of pain.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

Callen drove for what to him seemed like hours.

Things had been so simple this morning.

This morning he had been G. Callen. No first name, no ties. A deceased mother and sister, a name for a father. A man whose closest thing to a mother was his boss, one of two people in his life he trusted implicitly.

Now his whole world had been turned on its head.

His...Friend...nemesis? ...no, not nemesis but not really a close friend either, was now his father.

His boss, the woman he had trusted since she 'saved' him from the welfare system at fifteen was actually his great aunt and blood family.

Last, but not least, was the fact that these two people who should have been there for him his whole life had spent it on the peripheral edges, manipulating him into going where they wanted him to, messing with the pieces in his life under the pretense of 'protection' and had taken away his chance to be a father, to watch his daughter grow up, to have spent the last few precious months with Lizzy before her death. They had taken that from him under the guise of love and left him now, more bereft than he had ever felt in his life.

He pulled the car over at a look out near Sur Point lighthouse and he rested his head on his hands, taking a shuddering breath as the pain and unfairness of it all coursed through his system.

Anna.

Anna was the only shining light in this whole mess.

His beautiful daughter, it was a wonder she was so together about this. She had her mother's smile but his eyes. He wondered how much of her mother was in her and found himself missing her more and more.

Of course she had been glad to meet him, he was sure if he hadn't found out that Arkady was Nikita he would have wanted to meet him too. But after the hurtful things he had said to Hetty, how long would it be before she chose them over him and he would be alone again?

He figured that by now Hetty would be calling Sam to inform him of his partners resignation or maybe she would just tell them she had fired him.

Sam would get mad and head to his house to ream him out.

Anna would probably be disappointed in him for getting mad at her aunt.

Joelle would….

* * *

He stopped as his train of thought derailed like a wreck. Joelle!

She had no idea that he had a child!

He had promised to go and see her, he looked at his watch, an hour ago.

He rubbed his hands tiredly down his face and started the ignition on the car, he really needed to see her.

Pulling up in her driveway he stared at the house watching Joelle inside, sitting at her desk looking at someone's schoolwork.

Slowly he took a deep breath, got out of the car and walked to the door.

Joelle looked up as she heard his key in the lock, he'd only gotten his key back a month ago after she had found out he had lied to her. Realizing that she really cared for him she wanted to give the relationship a go and had after a lot of convincing from him, promised to give him another chance as long as he didn't lie to her again.

He hadn't, she hadn't asked about work and he never mentioned it so that there was nothing for him to lie to her about there. She only asked occasionally if he'd had a good day at work, without giving her a run down on his day if he was unable to, he just said yes or no and they left it at that.

He wasn't sure how he was going to tell her all he had learned today.

He opened the door and stood staring at her.

"Callen?" Joelle said looking at the devastated look on his face, she dropped her pen and rushing over to him, pulled him into a hug.

She stepped back as he flinched. "Callen, What's wrong?"

Callen shook his head and moved to the kitchen to help himself to the coffee she had in the pot.

Joelle moved to the couch and patted the space next to him.

"Sam's ok isn't he?" She asked worried.

Callen nodded, "Joelle….I...We need to talk."

Joelle turned to him worried, "Callen you're scaring me." she said quietly.

"I found something out today, you need to know." he said.

"Are you sick? Were you shot?!" She rapidly looked him over to see if he looked ill or hurt.

"I...I met my daughter today." He said not looking her in the eye.

She dropped his hand, "Your daughter? You have a daughter? who, how...how old is she?" Joelle asked.

"Twenty three." Callen said.

"TWENTY THREE!" Joelle jumped up. "You've had a daughter for twenty three years and now you decide to tell me!" She walked over to the window wrapping her arms around herself protectively.

She turned tears rolling down her face, "You promised you wouldn't lie to me again."

"I...I didn't." Callen stood to face her.

Joelle whirled at him, "So...you just 'forgot' that you had a child!" She swiped his hand away from her arm, "No...I'm not going to listen anymore, go back to your child and your lies." she let her tears fall freely, "I can't do it anymore, I believed you even though I just assumed you didn't want to tell me your name, Sam and Michelle both assured me that you really didn't know what your name was and I left it at that. But this! This is too much Callen, I can't do it anymore."

Callen took another step towards her.

"Just leave...I...I can't do this Callen, I'm sorry." Joelle shook her head and watched sadly from the window as Callen quietly turned and left the house.

For a moment he sat in the car, he looked at her watching him and turned the ignition on, he didn't want anyone else to get hurt again because of him. He was hurt that she hadn't cared so much about him to even listen, but it was the story of life, he would get close to someone and then they would leave. After the events of the last few hours he didn't have it in him to go back and fight.

Sadly he shook his head and drove off towards his home, he hoped more than anything that Anna wouldn't be too mad at him for having left Hetty the way he did.

* * *

Anna laughed at Sam as they pulled up outside the boatshed.

"Dad did that? Really?!" she asked shocked.

"Your Aunt Hetty refused to replace his pants for a month," Sam laughed back.

She opened the car door holding Hetty's lunch in one hand and then reached in for her father's.

Arkady climbed out of the back, "I hope Henrietta and Callen have settled their differences," he said. His son had looked mad when they left and he knew that although not many people got to see it Callen did have a volatile temper.

Sam keyed the code in for the door and opened it as the others followed him in.

"Dad! Aunt Hetty! We're back!" Anna called brightly walking into the main room.

_"AUNT HETTY!_" She screamed in terror as she saw the smaller woman, unconscious on the couch.

"Call 911!" Sam yelled as he ran over to give her CPR, "G!" he yelled hoping his partner was just in another room.

Arkady called for help and turned back to the other man, "The paramedics are on their way."

Sam felt for her pulse, "It's thready but its there."

Arkady stood at the door to let the paramedics in, "What happened?" They asked.

"We think she had a heart attack." Sam told them.

"What's her name?" A paramedic asked him.

"Hetty Lange." Anna said, "Please...will she be alright?"

They laid her gently on the floor, "Hetty….Hetty, it's the paramedics. you're ok, we are just going to check you out."

She was still unresponsive but they checked her out and turned to the three people watching.

"We need to get her to the hospital, She's got a heartbeat and right now we don't know if it's a heart attack or a stroke, but we need to get moving fast." They moved her onto a gurney and wheeled her out to the ambulance.

"We are heading to Cedars-Sinai, if she has any family that will need to be there for her can you contact them?"

Sam nodded, "I will…"

Hetty groaned as she started to come round.

"Hetty!" Sam called looking worried.

"Callen…" She groaned and passed out again.

His face clouded over, had Callen hurt her? No it was unthinkable...but where was he now?

Anna watched with tears in her eyes as her aunt was loaded into the ambulance, "Grandfather we must go with her."

Arkady nodded, "Of course." he agreed. "Where is Callen?" he asked noticing his son wasn't there.

Sam shook his head, "I don't know?" He was worried, had Callen been taken by a Comescu. "I'll drop you guys off at the hospital and get Kensi and Deeks to watch over Hetty, then I'll find G."

* * *

Three hours later Sam pulled up at Callen's house.

His car was parked haphazardly outside his house and fearing for the worst Sam pulled his gun and knocked.

There was no reply at the door and Sam was about to go around the back when he heard a crash from inside.

Carefully removing his lockpick he knelt down and swiftly undid the lock on the door.

The living room was empty, so he headed through to the kitchen, the fridge door was ajar, but apart from that nothing else seemed to be out of place.

A sound caught his attention and he turned heading for the bedroom.

Holding his gun at the ready he slowly opened the door…. To find a thoroughly inebriated G. Callen leaning against the wall in his bedroom, his box between his legs with it's contents scattered around him.

"What the hell G?" Sam snapped.

Callen knocked over the second bottle of scotch he had been drinking sending it careening into it's empty twin.

"I messed up, I should never have come into her life." He slurred.

"Hell G...Not now!" Sam snapped.

"Whyya here Sam." Callen slurred.

"We were worried about you, you need to know…."

"Ha!" Callen snorted, "Worried, 's there fault… Hetty…"

"Hetty nearly died." Sam snapped.

Callen grabbed his bottle and turned away from Sam, "Don't care. not my problem...I don't need to care about anyone...not gonna care...not anymore ...hurts…"

Sam's face darkened and he made a fist and pulled his hand back aiming at Callen's head.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Callen looked up and ducked as Sam's fist connected with the wall above his head.

"What the hell man?!" Callen gasped clarity rushing to him, then fading again as the room started to spin.

"Damn you G!" Sam snapped hauling him to his feet and pulling the struggling man into the bathroom and throwing him into his bathtub.

He turned the faucet on cold and freezing cold water ran through the shower head onto Callen.

"_GETOFFME!_" Callen spluttered trying to remove Sam's hands from him.

"You with me?" Sam asked.

Callen swung a drunken punch which missed by miles.

"_GETOFF!_" he yelled again.

"You need to sober up, I can't believe you left her and got drunk!" Sam snarled.

Callen shook his head, "Didn't leave Anna, told Hetty to tell her where I would be. Didn't drink much..."

Sam snorted in disagreement. "Anna needs you, Hetty…. "

"I don't care what _she _wants or what _she_ said, she can go to hell for all I care." Callen snapped falling out of the tub and grabbing for a towel he really didn't care what Hetty wanted anymore.

Sam took a step back, "You don't know?" he asked, "She's in hospital."

Callen snapped around fast, "Anna's hurt?" he asked, "She's not...its not...Comescus?" his voice started to shake, in fact his whole body started to shake as adrenaline flooded his system. "Where is she? Why weren't you watching her?!" He yelled at Sam.

Sam moved Callen to the only chair in the house, "Sit down G."

He pushed him into the chair and slipping on the bottom of his wet jeans he fell back into it.

"Anna is fine, Arkady is fine, but Hetty's not. We got back and she'd had a heart attack."

Callen wanted to be angry, to say it served her right, but he couldn't, because one thought overrode everything.

"I killed her?" he asked worry slipping out in the question.

Sam, on his way to make coffee turned at the mumble he heard from his partner.

"Sorry?" He asked.

Callen shook his head and stared at his feet.

Sam shrugged and headed for the kitchen to make his partner coffee.

* * *

Callen closed his eyes for a moment to stop the living room from spinning.

He slowly opened his eyes to see the diminutive operations manager standing in front of him.

"You killed me Mr. Callen...All because _you _were too selfish to realize that the things we did, we did to help you. To keep you alive. You have broken Anna's heart now. We were right to keep her from you, you killed your mother, your sister, Dominic, now me...How many more will die because _you do not _listen." She snapped at him.

Callen whimpered softly.

Anna stepped out from behind her, "We tried, I wanted to be your daughter, Hetty and Arkady love me more than you do. Where were you?" her face scowled at him and then she put on a large wide brimmed hat. She laughed and crumpled to the floor as a blood stain appeared on her head. As she faded away she turned to him with sightless eyes, "This is all your fault, you failed me."

Callen scrambled off the chair, reaching for the empty spot on the floor where the hallucination had just vanished.

He looked up as the door opened and Arkady walked in.

"Look at you, pathetic...Hetty watched over you, protecting you for our enemies and how do you pay her back...you should have died not my Amelia." He turned and left.

Sam walked back in to find Callen silently crying on the floor by the chair.

"Here…" He said gently, "Drink this."

He handed his partner a coffee, "I'm sure Hetty'll be fine, I know you care a lot about her."

Callen gulped the coffee down but said nothing.

"I thought you weren't drinking scotch anymore?" Sam prodded.

"Didn't have that much," Callen shrugged.

"Get dressed G, we'll go in five." Sam turned his still inebriated partner in the direction of his bedroom. "You need to get a proper shower and cleaned up, they are all waiting at the hospital for you. I'm not leaving here without you and you certainly can't drive."

Callen staggered off in the right direction, his head was a jumble, too much had happened in too little time, but he knew whatever Sam was doing he had his back.

* * *

Arriving at the hospital, Callen sporting a pair of dark glasses even though the sun was coming up over the city and it really wasn't that bright yet. Sam pulled into the parking lot under Cedars-Sinai and turned off the engine.

"We'll pick you up another coffee before you go up." Sam told his uncharacteristically silent partner.

Callen nodded and followed Sam into the lobby of the hospital.

"Sit there." Sam ordered and he walked up to the small coffee shop in the lobby and brought him two coffees.

"Two?" Callen asked as Sam held them out to him.

"Two G. Drink the first and wait for me." He turned and walked towards the reception.

Callen drank the thick black coffee and felt his head get a little clearer, for the life of him he couldn't remember why he was at the hospital. Someone was hurt? … He looked down at his own body and ran his free hand over the top of his shirt where his scars from his shooting were.

Not him...not this time.

"She's upstairs, ICU." Sam said.

Callen jumped he hadn't even seen his partner walk up to him, how could he be that out of it?

"G?" Sam asked, even he was concerned about the lapses in his partners behavior.

G shook his head, "I'm fine...wait...**_she's_ **in ICU? Anna?" He got up and staggered a bit.

"G you're not fine. How much did you drink?" Sam asked.

"About half a bottle of scotch." Callen leaned against the wall.

Sam looked concerned.

"You've drunk more than that before, you have a slight headache and sleepy but…" He stopped as he put his hand on Callen's shoulder and he jumped.

"G, come with me." Sam ordered.

He walked him to the ER. "Sit there a second." he said.

Callen nodded still feeling disjointed.

Sam pulled over the doctor he had seen earlier when he had assigned Kensi and Deeks as Hetty's bodyguard.

"Agent Hanna, what can I do for you?"

"Hey doc, is there any chance you can check out my partner, He's needs to go and see Hetty soon, but he's been drinking."

"Hangover?" the doc answered pulling her stethoscope out of her pocket.

"Maybe, I'm not sure. Something seems off. He's drunk more than this before, and it's not affected him like this. I think he's been having hallucinations, he's on his fifth coffee, usually by now all he'd have is a headache and be grumpy. But he's still….._**G!**_" Sam exclaimed as his partner slid out of his seat.

"When did he have his last drink?" The doctor asked.

"About three hours ago, I threw him in the shower and sobered him up the same as normal, but he doesn't seem to be shifting it."

The doctor walked over to him, "Agent Callen...Callen...I need to check you over." She said reaching for his arm.

"NO!" Callen moved back, "I'm fine...I need to see Anna!"

"G...calm down Anna's ok." Sam soothed his partner standing in the way as the doctor took G's blood.

"OW!" Callen yelped. "I hate needles."

Sam smiled, "That he does." he confirmed.

"I'm gonna have our lab run a toxicology test on this," she handed it over to a nurse, "Rush job." she ordered, the nurse nodded and rushed off to comply.

"Here…" She helped Callen to a cubicle and lay him down gently. "I know you don't like needles, so let me get this IV cannula into you so we can make sure we don't need to stick you any more huh?" she asked with a smile.

Callen's head was spinning so he closed his eyes and nodded gently.

The doc walked away and closed the curtain motioning for Sam to follow her.

"What are you thinking doc?" Sam asked worried.

"We got Hetty's test results back a few hours ago, now you said you were going to get Agent Callen, and she has called for him a few times. Were they together at any point?" She asked.

Sam nodded, "Before Hetty got sick, they were alone why?"

"Hetty was poisoned. I am concerned that Agent Callen was poisoned as well."

Sam looked shocked, "Does Hetty's family know?" He asked.

The doctor nodded, "I told them about an hour ago, if it is the same poison I will need to administer an anti-toxin. Does Agent Callen have any family that needs to be contacted, next of kin?"

"That would be me and Hetty." Sam informed her. "I suppose his father and daughter now, I will tell them, they are upstairs with Hetty."

"Doctor!" the nurse hurried back, "We still had the test set up from Miss Lange, we ran the same on Mr. Callen's blood work, it is the same poison,"

The doctor looked at Sam, "I'll get him started on the anti-toxin and have him moved to a room next to Miss Lange, it'll be easier for you all."

Sam smiled and nodded, "Thanks Doc, I'll go up and fill in the others."

* * *

Anna looked up hopefully as the elevator doors opened and she saw Sam. Her face fell as she realized her father wasn't with him.

"I guess he didn't want to be here after all." She said to her Grandfather.

"You do not know that, we will wait to see what Mr. Hanna has to say." Arkady looked towards the room where Hetty was resting.

"Callen's sick." Sam said abruptly.

Anna looked at him skeptically. "Really or did he just not want to be here. I mean if they had an argument is he the sort of man to leave Hetty when she's in pain?" she asked.

Sam shook his head, "No, he's sick, he's been poisoned with whatever poisoned Hetty."

"How?" Arkady held onto Anna's hand in concern. "Is...is he bad?"

"They are bringing him up now, whatever they gave him had him seeing things, I had him taken to the ER and they confirmed that the poison Hetty was given was the same that Callen ingested."

"But...Hetty's poison was in her tea, A man called Eric from your office called Kensi to confirm it." Arkady argued, "I will send some of my men to Callen's house to see if we can find anything."

Sam nodded, "I'll call Nell, see if she can meet them there."

Anna looked up as the elevator doors opened again and an orderly and nurse pushing a bed came out.

"Dad?" Anna and Arkady stood up.

Callen turned his head, but just blinked blankly as he looked at them then turned and threw an arm over his face.

Anna turned to her grandfather with a steely determination on her face. "Who is doing this to our family Grandfather and why?"

"Those my dear are answers that we all want." He said watching as the nurse settled his son into the room and Sam went into Hettys' room to bring Kensi and Deeks up to speed.

* * *

Callen lay on the gurney as he watched Sam leave.

He reached his hand out trying to call him back as the medication started to hit his system, Sam stopped and looked angrily at Callen, "I'm going to see Hetty, not that you care. You tried to kill her!"

Callen tried shaking his head as the nausea and dizziness hit him.

"Sa…" he breathed.

The nurse walked in and turned to the doctor. "I just had a call from Agent Hanna, Agent Callen's family are upstairs and waiting for him."

"Good, I want you to stay with Agent Callen all the way there, he's been experiencing some hallucinations. I don't want him alone with the orderly."

The nurse nodded as the orderly came to take Callen up to his room.

Callen started thrashing in the elevator, "It's ok Agent Callen, you're in a hospital."

Her calm manner and hand on his shoulder calmed him.

She smiled as the elevator doors opened and she saw his family full of concern for him. She had been his nurse when he had been shot and had seen no one but Sam and the team visit him. Now he seemed to have his family round and it was a nice change.

The lights were disorientating, then he felt like he was rising, he tried to grasp onto something, anything to stop the feeling of rising and falling.

"Dad!" He looked over for a second at the sound of his daughters voice. Anna and Arkady were standing there looking at him.

"Hetty's dead...it's all your fault, you failed her and you failed me!" Anna snapped at him. He groaned as a bright red blood stain spread across her chest. Lizzy stood behind her, "I died because of you, you failed us, you lied…"

Joelle swam into view, "You lied to us all, we're all dead because of you, you should never have had a family…"

Callen threw his arm over his face and turned away from the mocking laughter he heard as he was wheeled down the hallway.

He couldn't listen to it anymore, and the worse thing was...they were right.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Nell looked around Callen's house. Everytime she had been here it struck her how empty it was. Like his life, maybe nothing that could be regarded as permanent, that couldn't be picked up and moved on with at a moment's notice.

She put her gloves on and walked into his bedroom, the black evidence bag at her feet. Taking in the rumpled bedroll on the floor and the clothes in a bag under the window, she walked up to the empty and half empty bottles at the end of the blanket. Picking them up, she dropped them both carefully into evidence bags.

Noticing the upturned box she started putting the pictures and keepsakes back in a noise behind her she stopped.

"I checked the other rooms," Eric said as he walked in behind her. "You sure this is the right place, it...it looks so empty."

Nell nodded, "It's just his way, I suppose." she sighed. "I have the two bottles Sam mentioned, do you think that's how he got poisoned?"

She handed them to Eric who looked at her and stepped back.

"Should I be wearing gloves?" He asked worried.

"Beale!" Nell snapped, "The bottles are in a bag, you don't need gloves you're safe." She smirked to show him she really wasn't holding a grudge.

Eric gave her a lopsided grin back, "I'll take them to the lab when we leave, are you going to come back with me?" He asked hopefully.

"I have to head to the hospital," she smiled and ushered him out the door.

Eric walked down the path, gave her a wave and climbed into his car and drove off.

* * *

Nell smiled until the door shut and she pulled her phone out.

"It didn't work," she said as the call was answered. "He's in hospital, with her now. I haven't been to see him yet so I don't know…"

She frowned as the person on the other end of the call spoke.

"Well you didn't do so good yourself." She placed the phone on speaker as she opened the tea box again and a familiar voice came through.

"Exactly what is that supposed to mean, Nelly? I did what I was supposed to do, I found him, I romanced him and when he needed me most I deserted him, broke his heart. I had to sleep with it and kiss it...you have the easy job."

"JO!" Nell snapped, "We got our jobs, it's not my fault that you are older than me. Besides I had to help track down our cousins and watch as he killed them." She stopped as she wiped a tear, Vasilie had been her favorite and helping them track him down had felt like betrayal to her. However with Eric hovering in the background she hadn't been able to warn him.

"I have the pieces we need, I'm heading to the hospital now, I will make sure they both get another dose, maybe this time it will work and they will be eliminated," Nell snarled.

"Hopefully, I will be there too, my sister. I just got a call from Sam, worried about Callen and he thought I might want to be there for him."

"Ramai in siguranta." Nell said as she ended the call.

Soon, soon the last of the Comescu's two children who had been brought up in America for this purpose, alone and away from their family would get their revenge.

* * *

Joelle smiled as she ended the call with her sister. So far everything had gone according to plan. Although the fact that Callen had a daughter had thrown a wrench into their plans, but as soon as Joelle had called Nell with the news she had been waiting for him to tell her and they had adjusted their plan accordingly.

In the elevator on her way to the floor Callen was on, Joelle adjusted her hair to look a bit frazzled.

"SAM!" She called running out of the elevator, "Where is he, is he hurt?"

Sam turned from talking to Anna and Arkady and walked over to her. "Joelle, calm down."

"What happened? We were supposed to meet last night for dinner but he never showed." She looked over at the other two people in the waiting room and then at Sam.

"Sam?" Her voice cracked with just the right amount of worry, it was all she could do not to smile.

"Joelle Taylor, this is Arkady Kolcheck and Anna Rusakova."

She nodded distractedly and then stopped to look at them.

"I'm sorry...I don't understand?"

Sam sat her down on a chair, "Joelle, Arkady is Callen's father and Anna is his daughter."

She looked hurt, "he lied to me again?" she asked.

Sam shook his head, "No...He really didn't know, not until yesterday. He only found out about Anna yesterday as well."

She looked at Arkady hopeful, "he found you! He's been looking for so long, Oh my God and now he's been shot!" Her eyes brimmed with tears.

Arkady moved to comfort her, "No...no my dear Callen hasn't been shot, he's been poisoned. He will be alright." He reassured her.

Joelle dried her eyes, "Can...Can I go in and see him?" she asked.

Sam nodded, "Of course." He walked her to the door, "Take all the time you need."

* * *

The door closed and Joelle looked at the sleeping figure in the bed.

"Oh Callen!" she sighed aloud while walking over to grasp his hand tighter than she would have done had anyone else been there.

She took a small syringe from her purse and injected the fluid into his arm.

"That is for you from Comescu," she whispered harshly in his ear. "I will be caught and I will go to jail, but the youngest of us will avenge us all. You will die knowing there is no one to stop her from befriending and killing your daughter."

Callen groaned as the poison entered his system.

Joelle smiled, "And this abomination I am growing of yours will be born in jail and will live the same life you did, alone, unloved and friendless."

Unable to move or speak a small tear leaked from Callen's eye, unnoticed by the others.

Joelle turned at a small click and stood still in shock.

"Sam?" She looked distraught again.

"I heard you Joelle...What did you do to him, who are you?"

"I finished the job Sam, the job I was born for. I am Comescu and proud."

Sam put cuffs on Joelle and opened the door.

"Kensi!" he called.

Outside Hetty's room on guard duty Kensi looked up.

"I need you in here." Sam said calmly so as not to alarm Anna or Arkady.

He shut the door and pressed a call button for the nurse.

"I should shoot you." Sam snarled.

Joelle smiled at him, "But you will not. I am carrying his child."

Stepping back in shock, Joelle smiled at Sam. "I will be tried, but not executed, I will have his abomination in jail and the system will raise it. The last Callen will be as unloved as it's father."

"It's not the last Callen." Sam replied thinking of Anna.

Joelle threw her head back and laughed a malicious laugh.

"It will be."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Callen thrashed as the new poison entered his system. Ushering Joelle out a nurse and doctor ran in to check him over.

"He won't make it…!" Joelle promised.

Arkady stormed over and grabbed her out of Sam's arms, pinning her up against the wall.

"What did you give my son!" He snarled.

"I won't tell you, _Callen_...you will all die!" she snapped back.

"I am not a Callen, you are Comescu yes?" He asked.

She nodded her head defiantly. "I am Joana Comescu. I will uphold our family's honor."

Her hazel eyes flashed in hatred.

"_**DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM**_?" Arkady spat in anger, Anna stepped back frightened at the change in her grandfather.

"You are a_** Callen**_." She snapped at him.

"No...I am Arkady Kolcheck, or maybe I am more familiar to a Comescu by my former name. Nikita Alexsandr Reznikov."

Joelle paled. "R...Reznikov...as in….?" She gulped, "I didn't know."

"Now you do." He snarled. "That boy in there is my son. I have watched over and protected him for most of his life, The _Callen's_ any _Callen_ is under my protection and will not be touched."

Joelle smiled, "Then you can't touch me I...I am having his child."

Arkady looked into her eyes.

"You lie." he decided.

She shook her head frantically, "No...No...I am pregnant." she gasped as his hand slipped around her throat.

"Grandfather!" Anna grabbed Arkady by the arm Sam grabbed the other arm. "What are you doing?!"

Arkady shook his head as clarity returned.

"Can you find out if she is telling the truth?" He asked.

Kensi nodded, "I can, I'll take her down and get a blood test before we ship her off to the boatshed for questioning."

Joelle laughed, "You think that will save him...finding out for certain that I am having his child?!"

* * *

Anna lost it.

She had sat calmly by as she let the others handle it but the answer to the one question she needed to know wasn't being asked nor was is being answered.

She pulled Joelle out of Sam's grip. Sam stepping back in surprise at Anna's behavior.

"What did you poison him with?" She yelled the intensity in her voice surprising all of those present.

"I am not going to tell you child."

Anna pulled a gun from the small of her back and held it to Joelle's temple.

"You can't shoot me?"

Anna smiled.

"I am not a cop, I am not an agent and I don't care if you are pregnant or not….I _**do**_ care about the man lying in that bed. He is my family and I am a Callen and _**you**_ are a Comescu. I will kill you." her face stayed stoic and her gun never wavered.

Reluctantly, Sam and Kensi pulled their guns on Callen's daughter.

"Anna?" Sam warned.

Anna didn't move and Joelle broke.

"I'm not pregnant...and I used Datura Stramonium," She cried.

Anna turned and lowered her gun with a very familiar smirk. "See I knew she'd talk."

"Give me the gun Anna." Sam said his gun still drawn.

Anna relinquished the gun stepping back, "Is there an antidote to this poison?" she asked a shocked doctor who was standing nearby as Sam took the gun.

"Y...yes ma'am there is." He stammered.

"Well get it...Now...my father needs it." she ordered.

Sam suppressed a smirk, she was so much like G it was unmistakable that they were related.

As Joelle was led to the elevator Nell stepped off ignoring her cousin.

"Nell, Callen's been poisoned with a plant called Datura, can you find anything on it that will help?" Sam asked.

Nell reached into her bag and looked it up.

"All parts of the Datura plant contain dangerous levels of alkaloids, they are usually fatal when ingested. Datura intoxication typically produces a complete inability to tell the difference between reality and fantasy, possible violent behavior and photophobia which can last for several days another side effect can be amnesia, Overdose can cause death…." Nell stopped as her words had their intended impact.

"Grandfather…?" Anna asked tears in her eyes, "He won't die will he?"

Arkady gathered Anna in his arms, "I hope not...I do hope not."

* * *

Nell stood watching the family, all worried about Callen. Then she turned to Deeks who was coming out of a room, "I was looking for Hetty, she called me down here?" she asked holding her tablet close to her chest as a shield.

Deeks looked at the door he had just come out of, "In there, she has been asking for you."

Nell nodded and went inside closing the door behind her.

"Miss Jones." Hetty said as she used the controls to raise the head of the bed slightly.

"Hetty."

"Are we alone?" Hetty asked.

"Deeks and the team are outside, they just arrested Joelle Taylor for the attempted murder of Callen."

"I am sorry dear…" Hetty said quietly.

"Sorry?" Nell asked.

"Miss Taylor...was she not the last of your family...apart from a cousin or two…"

Nell nearly dropped the tablet she was holding.

"My…."

Hetty smiled, "We all do what we must, I understand that. However Miss Jones, you have come so far, why allow the mistakes of the past to destroy your future."

"I...I don't…." she shook her head and moved back to the door.

"I made a mistake, in trying to protect Mr. Callen I feel that I have hurt him more and more, but I fear if you were to avenge your family, it would destroy him. You unlike Miss Taylor know the man Mr. Callen truly is, what drives him. Can you really tell me that the feud your family is locked into is just?"

Nell sank into a nearby chair. "How...how long have you known?"

Hetty chuckled slightly and then coughed as the movement caused her pain.

"I was the one who had you placed with the Jones' I had hoped that you would be spared being a part of this mess."

Nell looked down at the floor.

"I assume as you are the one with a key, you added the poison to Mr. Callen's drink?"

Nell shot out of her chair, "I...you...Hetty...I…"

Hetty smiled, "I know you did not give him as much as your cousin told you to, or Mr. Callen wouldn't be here."

Nell dissolved into tear, "I couldn't...I can't kill him...I…"

"I know dear." Hetty said. "I made my mistakes and if I am very lucky he will forgive me, I have had to go my whole life regretting what I did. The only thing that kept me going was the thought that I was in some way helping to not only save him, but his daughter as well."

Nell looked up at the woman and noticed for the first time how frail she actually was.

"What are you going to do to me?" she breathed.

"It all depends on you now, I would like for you to continue as you have been...and now that I am no longer able to work…" she shook her head as Nell opened her mouth to protest.

"I have talked to my doctor, I am going to have to retire, the question is are you going to let the mistakes of others define you, or will you be who you are, the woman you can be?" she asked. "Or do you intend to fulfill your family's vendetta and kill Mr. Callen?"

"I can't...Joana she...she found me and she told me about my family, I had to watch as Callen killed Vasilie, I had only just met him...I was hurt...I hadn't had any family and to find out…." Nell trailed off as she cried.

"I know my dear, you've had nearly the same upbringing as our Mr. Callen, but if nothing else that should show you that both you and he are not to blame for this awful feud, you can both rise above it."

"I want to Hetty...I really do." Nell wiped her face and looked at the older woman.

"So I take it, we are at an understanding and I will be alive when you leave this room?" Hetty asked.

Nell looked up at her shocked, "I…" her head dropped, "Yes...I can't be a part of that, I tried...God I tried, but I can't…"

Hetty sighed quietly hopefully not letting on how much she had been holding in.

"In that case Miss Jones, could you get me a progress report on Mr. Callen." she asked.

Nell nodded and as fast as she could she left the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Callen woke as the familiar beeping of a hospital room filled his ears.

He opened his eyes, wincing as the light hurt his head.

He didn't expect anyone to be in the room and he reached blindly for the saline drip he knew would be in his arm.

"Don't take that out." Arkady said quietly, "You were poisoned, you need the medicine to heal."

Callen looked over at Arkady. "Why do you care? You've already told me what you think of me. You blamed me for Hetty's…. Oh my God…! Hetty's dead! I killed her!" Callen's face turned white and he leaned over the bed to vomit.

Within seconds Arkady was at his son's side holding a bowl.

"Shh… Callen, be still moy syn, that is the poison talking. Hetty was poisoned too, she will be fine. We caught the person responsible, she will not be able to harm you again." He said rubbing Callen's back.

For a moment Callen closed his eyes and allowed his father's touch.

"Hetty's ok? Anna's ok?" He asked.

Damn his emotions; He had tears forming in his eyes and he couldn't stop it, what on earth had been in his system?

"They are fine. In fact Anna was instrumental in apprehending your would be murderer and bringing her to justice." Arkady said with undisguised pride in his voice.

"Anna's alright?" Callen asked the worry palpable in his voice.

"She's fine, she was here for a few hours, I sent her to get something to eat with Sam. She's worried about you."

Callen looked away sadly, "I failed her, I should have been there for her."

"You did no such thing." Arkady scolded his son, "I have talked to the doctor, you were hallucinating when they brought you in. Your team arrested the woman who poisoned you. She put more poison into your system, but after Anna finished with her…"

"Who?" Callen asked "Who did it?"

"A Comescu… although your team told me you knew her by another name… Taylor?"

Callen sighed and looked away. "Figures."

Arkady furrowed his brow as he looked at the resignation on his son's face.

"What?" He asked.

Callen shook his head and closed his eyes, he was tired, he'd had enough.

"Why are you still here?" Callen asked, his eyes still closed.

"You are unwell and need me."

Callen gave a snort, the medications in his system his excuse for what came next.

"So now you care? Why? I mean it's not like you gave a damn when you destroyed the rest of my life. Lizzy wasn't saved by your actions. I was denied the chance to spend my life with her and my daughter because you thought you knew better. I lost out on the chance to grow up with a real family because you thought you knew better. Well, frankly father…. You suck and trying to be a father now is too little too late, you don't want me. We both know that so why try? Because you think my daughter will hate you?" He shifted as a jolt of pain crossed him, he didn't know where the pain was coming from but it felt old, primal and he didn't like it.

"You are Anna's grandfather, you have been there for her all her life, naturally she is going to choose to be with you rather than me. You shouldn't be wasting your time. Go visit with Hetty, you lot all deserve each other… go on…. _GET OUT_!" He yelled.

Arkady stood, for a moment he stared at his son, his mouth agape, then, just as Callen expected he turned and walked out.

"Figures." Callen snapped and closed his eyes again, ignoring the tear that left him.

* * *

Nell watched as a broken looking Arkady walked out of the room.

She stood quietly watching Callen as Hetty had told her to do.

She didn't think he had noticed her slipping in as Arkady had walked out.

She silently took the chair across from his bed and watched as he focused on the ceiling, trying to control his breathing and his emotions.

After about ten minutes he stopped.

"Are you planning on saying anything at all?" he asked.

"Sorry." Nell said.

Callen turned and looked at her. It hadn't been a question, it had been a statement.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked.

Nell looked away a tear rolling down her face, "This is my fault." she whispered.

Callen lifted himself up, ignoring the pain and looked over at her. "How on earth is any of this your fault Nell?" He asked beckoning her to come closer.

She moved her chair closer, after all, if he was going to lash out at her she deserved it and should at least make it easy for him.

"I didn't ask to be born." She sighed.

Callen gave a cold laugh. "I thought you had the perfect life. Nell Jones… Two parents happy family, why would you not want to be born with that?" He asked.

"I wasn't." Nell admitted.

This got Callen's attention. "You weren't?" He sat up and swung his legs down so he was sitting facing her. She wouldn't look him in the eye, but she clasped her hands together and took a deep breath.

Hetty had known how important it was for her to tell him, so… Nell being Nell, she just jumped right in.

* * *

"I wasn't. I was born into a crime family. Before I was a week old a relative took me and my older sister to America, to be raised in secret. My family had a feud with another family and I was to be a part of that."

Callen gripped the edge of the bed tighter as he listened to her story not daring to interrupt.

"Enemies of my birth family found out and took myself and my sister away, splitting us up with different families, hiding us." Nell grabbed the edge of her cardigan twisting it, "I was placed with the Joneses, a lovely family who raised me as their own. I was 15 when I found out I was adopted and twenty when I found my family."

Callen gave a small smile, "It went well, right?" He asked hopefully. He really hoped she hadn't had to go through what he had with his own father.

"For a while, but it was a lie." Nell still couldn't look him in the eye and it was worrying him.

"Nell?" He took her hand and held it, hoping to show her some support.

"I met a few cousins and my sister, my parents didn't live in America, I didn't find out till later, but my mother had died in childbirth with me, my father stayed in the country I was born in and was killed later on when the feud reared its head. He was shot in an attack on his home."

"Feuds are like that, they don't care who they hurt." Callen sympathized with her.

"For a while, finding out my father was dead… I hated his killer. I hated him so much that it hurt, I believed my family, I believed in the feud, even though I knew his killer and I knew he wasn't like my family said. A small part of me knew it was wrong."

"You knew who killed your father?" Callen asked shocked.

Nell nodded, still not looking at Callen, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

He wanted to reach up and wipe them away, but he didn't dare move. He knew Nell hadn't finished and he felt that he needed to hear what she was so desperate to tell him.

"I knew him, I still know him. I trust him with everything, including my life. But I got twisted into the feud with my family. They had me spy on him, give them information, find out things he didn't even know. Then they had me help hurt him. I did, I told my sister about him, she got herself introduced to him and she seduced him. Then… She got close enough to poison him and I had to hurt the woman closest to him. The woman he saw as a mother."

Callen pulled his hand back and looked at her.

"Nell…. Who are you? Who was your father and who killed him?" He asked.

Nell sobbed for a moment wrapping her arms around herself like an invisible shield.

"My birth name was Sabina, My father was Stefan Comescu and you killed him when you rescued Hetty from my Grandmother Alexa." Nell said shaking.

Callen moved away from her in shock.

"You're… you're a … Comescu?"

Nell finally looked Callen in the eye, instead of the hatred he expected all he saw was regret and sorrow.

"I don't want to be. I don't hate you Callen… I can't hate you…" She looked down as tears filled her eyes, "I know you won't be able to forgive me. I hurt Hetty, I know she has forgiven me, I couldn't kill her or you, I give Joana the wrong dose of the poison so it wouldn't kill you. My family lied about you."

"But you knew me, you worked with me…?" Callen shook his head, "How…?"

Nell smiled sadly, "I faked my records so no one would know about my family, my adoption records were 'lost' and I was just plain Nell Jones."

"So…" Callen sat there at a loss for what to do, this day was just rapidly going downhill. He had had feelings for her, feelings he hadn't put into words and now never could. But he couldn't hate her… he… well, he didn't know what he felt about her now but it wasn't hate. "... I just call you Sabina now then?" he asked.

Nell looked at him as he pulled a tissue out of the box by his hospital bed and handed it to her.

"No. I am not her… I don't want to be her. Hetty found me great foster parents, I am Nell Jones." She took the tissue and wiped her eyes, "But I know that you won't want to see me again." she stopped as the tears threatened to fall again. "But you deserved to know the truth… that and …" she stood up to go. Hopefully he would just let her leave. "And I love you, I have since I first saw you."

Instinctively he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Don't go." He said as she looked up at him in surprise.


	12. Chapter 12

"Don't go." He said again, his hand sliding down from her wrist to hold his hand.

"Callen?" Nell shook as she stopped to face him.

"Don't go like this, please." He begged as he looked down at their intertwined hands.

Nell took a deep breath and stepped closer, "Why? Why do you want me around, I'm your enemy. If I stay… you'll…"

"I would never hurt you Nell." Callen vowed as he looked at her. "Not you."

He didn't know what he was feeling, but with all that had happened in his life over the last 48 hours he was still having trouble coming to terms with it. His feelings for Nell, however had hit him like a Mack Truck. He wasn't sure what it was he felt for her, but every fiber of his being told him not to let her go.

"It's not your fault any more than Arkady being my father is mine. This stupid feud was not of our making. Damn!" He cursed in frustration, "I just wish… I wish we could go away, leave all this behind, just for a while."

For the first time since this had snowballed Nell smiled. "I can do that." She told him.

"You could?" Callen looked hopeful, he needed time to study all that had happened to him.

"I can… but, you have a daughter now. It wouldn't be a good idea to just take off." Nell said trying to be sensible.

Callen shook his head, "I know, but I'll leave her a note, besides, she's made it clear she doesn't want to know me right now."

Callen grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a short note for Anna and turned and grabbed Nell's hand. "Make me disappear, just for a while." He begged her.

Nell nodded. "Come with me."

* * *

Hetty was finally being released and Anna had sat by her side while the doctors assessed her condition.

"You'll be pleased to hear that both you and Mr. Callen are being released today. The antidote worked well. I am recommending that Mr. Callen has some sort of counselling due to the hallucinations he suffered and we need to give him his last shot of antitoxin to take the last of the effects out of his system, straight after that he will be as good to go as you are." The doctor told Hetty.

Hetty smiled, "That will be good. Anna I would like it if you and your father would stay with me for a few days, we have things that need discussing between us."

Anna brightened up at those words. She had been mulling over the fact that there were some secrets being kept between her aunt and her father that she hadn't been made privy to. But whatever they were, it had been the cause of a rift between them and she didn't want her new life with her father to start on a sour note. "That would be good." she agreed.

"Then it is agreed, now…" Hetty stepped out from behind a modesty screen, she had been changing behind, "Let us find your father and Grandfather and as you youngsters say blow this joint."

Anna laughed as she moved to hold the door for her.

* * *

Arkady sat on a bench in the hallway feeling dejected.

He had made mistakes, he knew this, but he had hoped that Callen would have at least understood that at all times he had tried to keep all involved safe. He wasn't a man who made excuses for his actions. After all it was the outcome that was important the reasons didn't matter.

He had hoped that as his son was obviously still alive that he would realize that all of Arkady's actions had been for the best. He had expected some questions, after all he had been on the periphery of the man's life, for all his life. But not the outright hostility he had been dealt in that room earlier. Of course he had known about the challenges Callen had faced during his life.

He'd had his friend Hans keep a close eye on him growing up so that his enemies wouldn't link him to the boy. But every action he had taken had been to ensure that his son had been kept alive. Then finding out that he had gone to FLETC and had fallen in love had filled him with hope.

Maybe for his son, the future could have been different. But he had watched the woman Callen had fallen for. Lizzy Rusakova, he had almost laughed at the irony when he had discovered that she was the daughter of his old friend. The man who had taken his son and daughter to America.

Then Callen had gone.

For a while he had thought they had split up. He'd had people follow her only to discover she was pregnant. He'd been ecstatic until he had noticed that she was also being watched by Comescu's. Then he'd had to step in, tell her who he was and move her for her own safety. Always his actions had been for his children and his children's children.

Why couldn't his son see this?

Arkady was pulled out of his musing by the sight of Hetty and Anna walking up the hallway.

"Arkady Kolcheck, Why on earth are you sitting out here?" Hetty asked as they walked up to him.

"Callen threw me out, he has that woman... Nell? She is in with him right now." He said.

"Dad threw you out, Why?" Anna asked concerned.

"A difference of opinion, I fear." Arkady told his granddaughter.

Hetty looked worried, "How was Miss Jones when she went in?"

"The young woman seemed upset, but I assumed it was because she was worried for Callen." Arkady replied as Anna walked up to the door.

She knocked for a moment, hoping for a reply from her father.

She looked over at Hetty and her grandfather who were talking quietly and then she entered.

"Dad?" she called as she went in. She saw the unmade bed, but he wasn't there. She walked over to the bathroom and knocked on the door, "Dad, you in there?" she asked. She carefully opened the door and found the bathroom empty.

She walked back over to the bed, if he was around his clothes and stuff should be there. She opened the drawer on the nightstand next to the bed and stopped as she saw a folded piece of paper with her name on it.

'Anna'

She opened the paper and sat on the bed to read.

'I need to leave. I am sure you will be pleased to know that, I am sorry for all the harm I brought into your life. I don't know where I will be, but I will be back as soon as I can sort through all this mess. Your grandfather spoke highly of you and your studies, I want you to know I am proud of all you have accomplished and I know that your mother would be too. I am sorry that I am not all you hoped for as a father. I messed up badly. I should be there for you, but my coming into your life has only complicated things for you. I love you Anna and I am so very proud of the woman you have become. If you ever find it in you to forgive me, I hope one day that we can build a real relationship. Tell Hetty NOT to look for me. I just need a while to get my head straight. Tell Hetty I'm sorry, I didn't mean for her to be hurt.

I don't know what else to write, please Anna, just know I love you and I am so very proud to be your father… I'm sorry.

Callen'

By the time Anna had finished reading it, she was in tears. He had left her. She could see that something wasn't right with him, he was in turmoil. But why had he left? Was it because he didn't want to work it out with her?

She crumpled the letter in her hand and walked out to the hallway.

"Grandfather… He's gone." She said, tears flowing down her face.

Hetty looked at the devastation on the younger woman's face, one question worried her. Where was Nell Jones? Had she really been sorry for what had happened or had she taken Callen to complete the vendetta that her family had against his?

* * *

Nell opened the door to the motel room they had rented. "Are you ok?" she asked as she put his bag on the bed and helped him inside.

"Yeah, I still feel a bit woozy." He admitted.

Nell looked sad, "I'm sorry, it's the drug, it should be out of your system in a few hours with no more ill effects."

Callen sank into a chair and put his head in his hands. "I feel like crap. I can't believe that in the space of a few days my whole life has been turned upside down. And I can't seem to just keep it in and deal with it."

"It's the drug Callen, you're going to keep saying what you think while it's in your system."

Callen smiled, "In that case, can I tell you I think you are the most intriguing person that I have ever met. You are feisty, beautiful, you are the smartest woman I have ever met…"

"And I'm the daughter of your mortal enemy." Nell added as she moved away from him.

Callen laughed, "Very Romeo and Juliet."

Nell smiled, "I hope not. They died in the end." She walked to the mini fridge and got a bottle of water. "Here, take this, you need to be hydrated."

Callen took the bottle and took a drink of the water.

"Do you want me to call Hetty, at least let someone know you are alright?"She asked.

Callen shook his head, "I doubt they'd care, but I left a note for Anna, told them I'd be back."

Nell nodded, although she didn't like it, she knew she owed him and she would do anything it took to make it right.


	13. Chapter 13

She watched as Callen lay on the bed, his eyes closed but not sleeping.

"You're thinking too loud." He groaned lazily opening one eye.

"I'm sorry." Nell said for what to her seemed like the one millionth time.

Callen sat up slowly, his head spinning slightly and eased himself up until his back was flush with the headboard.

"Stop saying that Nell, none of this is your fault."

"I poisoned you and Hetty." Nell reminded him.

"Yeah, but not to kill us." Callen added.

Nell humphed and put her hands on her hips in annoyance, "That's not the point!" She exclaimed, getting madder as a small smile played on the edge of his mouth. "It's not funny Callen!"

"It is... Kind of." He retorted, "You look cute when you're angry."

"CALLEN!" she threw her hands up in the air and turned away, whirling back as he outright laughed. "This isn't you, I've told you it's the effect of the drugs in your system, you can't control what you say."

"Like sodium pentothal?" He asked.

"Like that yeah; Now, I want to get you something to eat and you need something to drink, so…" She handed him a handful of takeout menus, "What do you want to eat?"

He grabbed her and pulled her in for a kiss, "You." He sighed as she pulled away from him.

Nell pushed herself away with a sigh, "I know this is just the drug in your system talking. I know you will say things you don't mean right now. Now pick something to eat and I'll order."

Callen slowly looked down to the menus, he casually picked one up. "This'll do, I don't mind what you get."

"Are you mad with me?" Nell asked as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"God… No…" Callen grabbed her hand, "I'm not mad, I know you're trying to do what is right, it's just I can't help feeling what I feel. I don't think it is the drug talking, more my heart. But I can't take the chance of losing you too. It's like the universe hates me; It gives with one hand waits till I find a piece of normal life and happiness for me and when I do, it gets snatched away."

"You still have Anna, she hasn't been taken from you."

Callen looked, "Not yet." He replied.

"Is that why you left?" Nell asked, shifting her position so she could face him.

"Just thought I'd go first." Callen sighed, "I heard her, she blamed me for Hetty. She was right, it was my fault. I know it was my fault her mother died, If Lizzy hadn't fallen for me, if I hadn't fallen for her, she'd still be alive, that damn feud has taken too much I'm too dangerous to be around."

"Dammit Callen!" Nell snapped, "That's not true. You are no more responsible for the feud than I am. That's why I never told you how I felt. I mean, do you hold me responsible for your mother's death?"

"No? Why would I you weren't born then." Callen said, reaching out to her and moving a lock of fallen hair behind her ear so he could see her face better, and he didn't like the pain on her face.

"But you should hold me responsible, I _did_ kill your father." He said sadly.

Nell reached over and pulled his face up so her eyes met his. "You killed an evil man, he may have given me life but Daniel Jones is my father and he is _not _dead."

Callen let out a sour laugh, "Yeah, and look at mine, Arkady Kolcheck in my life for years and couldn't even tell me he was my father. I'm that much of a screw up that one parent gets shot in the head and the other doesn't have the guts to tell me that he is my father and doesn't…" Callen trailed off. "Damn drugs.." He cursed.

"When I came to your room, Arkady was sitting outside. He looked really worried about you. I think he cares, but like you he was doing what he thought was right."

Callen looked at her the pain he was feeling evident on his face. "You think I screwed up again?" He asked.

Nell's face softened, "No... Not really. I still think you are right, you need a few days to get the drug out of your system and to get a handle on what happened to you. I could call Hetty, let them know where you are and that you're ok." She offered.

Callen shook his head, "Not yet. Let's get food first." He looked at the menus again, "This one." He said with a smile.

She took it and ordered them food.

"Maybe after dinner we can talk about us?" Callen asked.

Nell rolled her eyes, "Maybe in a few days, when you don't have so much to think about."

"That's not a no." Callen grinned.

Nell had to turn away to hide her smile.

"No… it's not a no." She admitted.

* * *

Anna and Arkady walked into Hetty's house to find Sam, Kensi, Deeks and Eric sitting in the main room of Hetty's home all looking worried.

"Anna, Arkady, it's good of you to join us." Hetty said as she motioned them to sit down. "Something I had hoped would never come to light needs to be revealed due to the fact that Mr. Callen and Miss Jones are missing."

"What is it Aunt Hetty?" Anna asked as she sat down.

"As you know, both Mr. Callen and myself were poisoned."

"Joelle, yeah, we know." Sam said.

"No." Hetty said, "Miss Taylor was responsible for putting the poison in Mr. Callen's bottle of Scotch, however, she was not responsible for the amount of poison, the sourcing of it or how it got into my tea."

"I was wondering about that." Deeks said, "I mean Joelle could easily get to Callen at his home but how did you get poisoned?"

"Joelle Taylor is in fact Ms. Joana Comescu, her sister, Sabine worked for us." Hetty revealed.

"We had a Comescu working for us and we didn't know?" Kensi asked worried.

Hetty nodded sadly. "Sabine Comescu was no other than Nell Jones."

"Where is she?" Sam asked his gut starting to churn.

"I don't know, wherever she is I fear she is with Mr. Callen."

"No!" Eric jumped up in agitation, "No way Nell is a Comescu! She's sweet and innocent and wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"Mr. Beale. I talked to Miss Jones, she admitted putting the poison in my tea, and supplying the toxin to her sister for Mr. Callen, albeit not enough to kill both of us as she had been ordered to do. I believed that she was sincere in her will to not become a part of this damnable feud. But I now worry, she had gone to confess her part in it to Mr. Callen, but now they have disappeared and I believe Mr. Callen may be in danger."

"But why would she kill Callen, she knew him?" Kensi asked.

"Mr. Callen killed Stefan Comescu during the raid on the house in Romania. Stefan Comescu was her biological father, I am concerned that she has taken Mr. Callen with the intent to do him harm."

"No." Eric said again, "I worked side by side with her for years, there is no way Nell would hurt Callen."

"I do hope so Mr. Beale, but I wish to err on the side of caution for now. I need your assistance to find them." Hetty said.

Eric nodded and reached into the satchel he had brought with him and took out his laptop. "If they have left a trace I will find them." He promised.

Sam stood up, "Did it look like there was a struggle?" He asked.

"The bed was unmade," Anna said.

Sam laughed, "I don't think G has ever made a bed in his life, he never did when he stayed at my place."

"There was this note." Anna handed the note to Sam who looked at it.

"It does look as though he left of his own accord." Sam said after a few moments.

"Ah, but Mr. Hanna the question is… Does Mr. Callen know he left with a Comescu?"

"I've got nothing." Eric snapped in frustration. "Nell knows all the tricks we use to find people, there's no way I'm gonna find her if she doesn't want to be found."

"How could you let a Comescu into your organization?" Arkady asked Hetty the anger on his face visible.

"Miss Jones was never in any systems as a Comescu, she was adopted by the Joneses at a week old."

"But you knew." Arkady said not asking, but telling her.

Hetty nodded, "I knew. However, Miss Jones had had no contact with any members of the Comescu family during her life, nothing in her files told me she knew who she was."

"Your failure put my son at risk. Now she knows about Anna too." Arkady stood up and found himself met by a wall of Sam.

"You had better calm down." Sam told him.

Arkady shook his head to clear his thoughts, "You are right Agent Hanna, forgive me, I am concerned about my family, I am sure you would be if it were your family in danger."

"G is my family." Sam said his arms folded unwilling to move.

"We are all concerned for Mr. Callen." Hetty said, placing a hand on Sam's arm. "However, with the drug still in his system, right now Mr. Callen may be susceptible to suggestion."

"Then you'd better try harder to find him Eric." Sam said, shooting an angry glance Eric's way. Eric gulped and buried his face in his keyboard in what he knew would be a fruitless hunt to find Nell and Callen. After all Callen could be a ghost when he wanted to and no one could find him and Nell… Nell knew every electronic trick in the book, if those two wanted to disappear, no one would find them.


	14. Chapter 14

It had been two weeks since Nell and Callen had disappeared.

Anna had stayed with Hetty while she recuperated, Arkady coming to see her every day to see if she had heard from his wayward son or her technical analyst.

Anna had the nagging feeling like she was being watched at night, but so far had not seen anyone. She was cautious when she left the house, but hadn't relayed her concerns to either her Aunt Hetty, nor her grandfather.

Sam, Kensi and Deeks had returned to work, Owen Granger coming up from Washington to step in while Hetty was healing. Despite the doctor's orders, Hetty was determined to get back to work if she could and Owen was willing to help where he could, even partnering up with Sam on a case so that the team wasn't short handed.

Eric felt the loss of Nell keenly in Ops not having his partner there to back him up with an extra set of eyes, hands or a brain when needed.

He felt betrayed, like they all did, at the fact that not only was Nell a Comescu, but that somehow she had taken Callen and for all they knew she could have killed him by now.

Sam, however refused to believe that Callen was dead, citing the fact that he was close to his partner and he would have felt it if Callen was hurt or indeed dead.

* * *

Callen, groceries in hand opened the door to the small rental trailer that looked out into a grove of trees in central Los Angeles, off San Fernando Boulevard. He stopped to make sure no one was paying any attention to him. Nell had picked this place perfectly, not once had anyone looked at them twice. Mind you, in this neighborhood people tended to keep themselves to themselves. He stepped inside and placed the groceries on the counter flipping the switch on the percolator to start the morning coffee. Quickly making some eggs and bacon to go with it, he placed the breakfast on the tray and walked into a closed off room at the rear of the trailer.

"Nell?" He called softly as he opened the door. He smiled as he saw her spread out over the bed chewing her bottom lip in her sleep.

He placed the tray on the nightstand and sat down next to her, "Nell, honey." leaning over he placed a light kiss on her lips.

"Mmmmm?" Nell stretched and opened her eyes.

"I got breakfast." He nodded towards the food on the tray.

"Were you seen?" She asked worried.

Callen shook his head, "Nope, disabled the camera's from outside the store, kinda easy really. Used cash, I'm practiced at this remember?"

Nell sighed happily, "I know. And I know we will have to show up sooner or later, but…"

"But let's just have this time for us, to figure out what we are and where we go from here." Callen interjected.

He smiled as she tasted his cooking and groaned, "God, this is good." she remarked.

"Thanks."

She ate in silence for a few moments and then stopped to take a drink of her coffee.

"So, how did you sleep?" she asked, "Any more nightmares?"

Callen shook his head, "I didn't sleep much, I got about an hour." He confessed.

"Nightmares?" She prodded again.

Callen nodded, "The same as last time, Anna being killed because of me, Arkady, not wanting to know me."

"Are you ready to go back?" Nell asked, "I think you should, You need to sort things out with…"

"No." Callen stood up, Nell, for a second looked hurt. "I'm sorry Nell, but we can't go back… not yet."

"Why not?" She asked, putting the plate back on the tray and finishing off her coffee.

"I…" Callen sighed, "I hacked into NCIS, Eric has a BOLO out for your arrest." He hadn't wanted to tell her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it from her.

"I know." Nell said sadly.

"You know?" It was Callen's turn to look surprised.

Nell gave a small resigned laugh, "It was inevitable, I am a Comescu, you are missing and I did try to kill both you and Hetty. So… Kidnapping and attempted murder right?" she asked.

Callen nodded dumbly.

Nell reached forward and kissed him gently, "Is this why you've been going out for supplies early in the morning and keeping me in here?"

"I don't want to lose you too." He said not looking her in the eye.

"You will never lose me." Nell vowed, "As much as that stupid feud was designed to make us hate each other, I love you. Nothing will change that. I am not a Comescu, I am Nell Jones. Remember that Callen; I, Nell Jones, love you."

"I love you too, but…"

Nell shook her head, "We'll give it a few more days, ok? You sort yourself out and we'll go back, it'll be fine." She reassured him. She didn't entirely believe it herself, though. She knew she would be arrested as soon as she got back and this little blissful bubble they had created for themselves would pop. But after what she had done to him, what her family had done to him, she felt she owed it to him to give him this moment of peace and normality.

* * *

"I've got him!" Eric shouted down from the balcony as Sam looked up in surprise.

"Who?" Sam asked as he exited the bullpen and headed up towards Eric with Kensi and Deeks on his tail.

"Callen." Eric pulled up the footage from the camera Callen had been seen on.

"This was 6am this morning, A small store in Cypress Ave."

They watched as a figure, his face hidden by a ball cap walked towards the store, keeping his face away from the security camera's outside the store as he slipped around the back. The angle showed his face as he stood on a box and cut the wires to the store's security cameras.

"Is he being watched? Comescus?" Sam asked.

"No." Eric replied, "He's caught on the same camera exiting, with a bag of groceries, I managed to catch him on a few more camera's, there is a defunct auto shop, but the camera's are still working, so I caught him going into this trailer park."

He showed Callen, stopping, looking around him as he sidled into the trailer park losing himself in the maze of cars and trailers.

"So, he's not being held against his will; but there's no sign of Nell, so maybe he's hiding?" Kensi asked.

"Na…" Sam shook his head, "There's no way G would hide from the Comescu's it would make Anna more of a target. Kensi, you and Deeks go and see the store owner, see what you can get from him, Granger and I will check out the trailer park and see if we can find Callen."

* * *

Callen cleaned up as Nell came out of the bedroom, washed and dressed for the day.

"So, what do you want to do today?" She asked.

Callen shrugged as he poured himself a coffee and sat on the couch.

"What had you planned to do about your family?" Callen asked.

Nell sighed, "As far as I know none of them know where the Joneses live. Do you think they could be in danger from _them_?" She asked, not wanting to say the word Comescu.

"I don't know. How much about your life did Jo know?"

Nell shook her head, "I don't know, I mean I never took her home. We met in coffee shops and cafe's. I don't know how much she knew about my parents."

Callen reached down and handed Nell a bag, "You might need this."

She opened it and smiled, "My laptop? When did you get this?"

"I went to your place last night while you were sleeping, figured we would need it at some point."

Nell smiled and kissed him, "Thank you so much."

Callen smiled, "You're welcome." He moved the laptop so it was sitting in front of her and looked out of the window with a slight sigh.

"You went again, didn't you?" Nell asked.

"No one saw me." Callen argued.

"That's not the point, the point is you didn't let her know you were there did you?"

Callen shook his head, "I didn't want to worry her, but I can't abandon her; she's my daughter."

"I'm not expecting you to Callen. As far as I know there are no Comescus in America right now." Nell turned on her laptop and clicked on a file she had. "This is a tracker, it tracks the passport movements of all the members of the Comescu family." She explained.

Opening the file she typed in some parameters, "Ok, it looks like all of them are in Europe… With the exception of… Damn… Petre is here."

"Who?"

"Petre Comescu. He's my Uncle. Out of all them I've met, he's the nastiest. He flew into LAX the day you were poisoned. He'll have had time to try and make contact with me and Joana by now."

"What will he do?" Callen asked worried.

"I'm not sure, Callen we need to find him and stop him before he hurts anyone."

* * *

Granger and Sam pulled up outside the trailer park.

"You're sure he's here?" Granger asked, looking at the area, "I would have thought he would have gone to a motel."

"They were the first places I checked and he would have known that. G's good at what he does." Sam argued, "He hates trailer parks, had a bad foster home in one once, so I never checked these."

They walked up to the office, as they did so, Sam noticed the door on the trailer at the back of the lot open and watched as Nell and Callen walked outside.

"Granger." Sam said low as he nodded in their direction.

Callen grabbed Nell's bag and his own and threw them in the back of the blue utility truck he had brought. The truck was old and beat up, but still road worthy.

He looked around, scanning for danger as he opened the door for her to get in.

Sam went to call out to him, but Granger placed a hand on his arm.

"Wait." He ordered.

"But…" Sam started.

Granger shook his head, "Something isn't right, stay back, we'll follow them and see where they go."

Sam didn't like it, but Granger was in charge and he had to obey.


	15. Chapter 15

They followed at a distance as Callen, driving a circular route to make sure he wasn't being followed, headed towards a rundown motel near the airport.

Sam had pulled the challenger up behind a dumpster out of sight and they walked to the corner of the parking lot and watched as Nell and Callen, neither one looking as if they were under duress, entered the room.

"So what now?" Sam asked Granger as Callen shut the blinds in the room.

"Callen doesn't look like he's being held by Nell, but something is off. I mean, if they weren't worried about the Comescu's attacking, or he wasn't worried about her hurting his family or anyone else, surely they would have gone back and at the very least argued Nell's case with Hetty?" Granger looked grimly up at the room, "We need to find out what's going on."

"We could just go up and knock." Sam offered with more than a hint of sarcasm.

Granger was about to reply when his phone rang. He held up a hand to silence Sam as he took the call.

"Granger…" He waited as the person on the other end talked to him.

"You're sure about that?" He replied, his face going dark and he shot an anxious glance up to the room. "Very well. Keep an eye on the place let us know if anything changes we will head back to the mission."

He looked up at Sam. "We are to stay back for now. We know Callen's safe and he's old enough to take care of himself. We have another problem. Petre Comescu has landed at LAX, he's been seen near Hetty's home in Encino. We need to move her, Arkady Kolcheck and Anna to a safe house."

For a moment Sam allowed himself a worried look, noting the room his partner was staying in, then with a grim nod turned and followed the assistant director back to his car.

* * *

Callen sighed as he dropped the bags onto the bed.

"So what now?" He asked.

Nell lay back and closed her eyes for a moment not replying immediately.

Callen smiled slightly, looking at her face, knowing that although all looked peaceful on the surface her brain was probably running about a mile a minute.

"Nell?" He prompted as he pulled out a slightly wobbly chair and sat down.

"Sorry?" Nell opened her eyes and again Callen found his breath catching at the sight of her hazel colored orbs. He grinned in spite of himself.

"What?" Nell levered herself up onto her elbows and looked at him.

Callen shook his head, now was not the time for this. "You sure he's staying nearby?"

Nell nodded, "I have him registered under the alias Jo told me about. At the Crowne Plaza on West Century Boulevard. He's registered under, Peter Cole. He's already booked a hire car."

Callen couldn't help but let out a small laugh, "Do you know where he's going next?"

She looked up confused, but then her face softened to match his, "No, even I'm not that good, but maybe I could call him?"

Shaking his head Callen's face clouded over, "No… I'm not putting you in danger."

Nell turned and sat cross legged on the bed. "Callen, I wouldn't be in danger, he doesn't know that… that, I love you…" She looked down suddenly unable to meet his eyes. "I can call him, set up a meet, there's a sushi bar nearby and I know he likes sushi."

"I don't like it Nell, we should just follow him and find out what he's up to." For a moment Callen gave a short, barked laugh, "We could always just go visit him in his hotel room."

"And have him shoot you?" Nell looked angry for a moment, then ashamed.

Callen walked over to the bed and closed the laptop. Nell looked up, a moment of anger crossed her face at his crashing her laptop, then he wrapped his arms around her, "It's not your fault. You are not to blame for any of this." He reminded her as he kissed her gently on the top of her head.

"What if he's heard about Jo being arrested?" Nell asked, "He'll try to contact her or at least…." She stopped as a cell phone rang in the bottom of her bag.

"You have a phone?" Callen asked worried.

"This was the bag I was supposed to run with after Jo… after she… and I…" Nell pulled away from Callen and walked over to the bag, "I forgot about it." Reaching into the bag she pulled out a burn phone. "_It's him_." She breathed the fear in her voice evident.

"Answer it." Callen prompted.

Nell nodded and with a shaking hand pressed the button. "Buna Ziua."

She put it on speakerphone and held her finger to her lips in warning.

"Sabine," Petre's gruff voice snapped over the phone, "Unde Esti?" He asked.

Nell switched to English, "I am hiding, they know who I am; Jo was arrested."

"Can you safely leave; I can take you back to your family. I have a ticket for you."

"I can try; will you meet me?" she asked.

"You left some loose ends, I intend to clear up."

"I'm sorry?" Nell asked, trying to sound contrite.

"The father and the child. We know about them. You are the youngest Sabine; I will not punish you for your mistake. I am staying at the Crowne Plaza room 1215, I am going to take care of the loose ends, be there by 6am and we will leave to reunite you with our family. It is time you came home child."

Nell looked at the phone as Petre hung up, with a shaking hand, "Callen…." She breathed her eyes wide with fear as she looked up at him. "He's going after your father and Anna."

Callen felt himself go pale and reached for his bag, "Did he say that he knew where they were? Or when he was going?"

Nell shook her head, "No, but I think he knows and I know it will be soon as he plans to leave by six am tomorrow morning."

Callen took his gun out of his bag, "I'll need more ammo, and more guns. Stay here, I'll be back as soon as I can." He kissed her on the forehead as she grasped his arm.

"I can shoot, I need to make amends, let me come with you." She pleaded with him.

Callen nodded grimly as Nell grabbed her shoes and jacket.

* * *

They walked into a graveyard, it was still early and no one seemed to be about. For a second Callen stood watching the cab that had dropped them off recede into the distance.

"Come on." He said and gently took her hand.

"Why are we here Callen, we need to get weapons." Nell asked worriedly.

Callen grinned at her, "We are, also some more cash and ammo." He stopped outside a vault and took a key from his pocket to unlock the padlock.

Nell watched as he walked to a stone and removed it to reveal a cache of weapons and a safe, he pressed the buttons on the combination lock and took out some more money. Handing her a gun and a box of ammo she swiftly put the ammo in her backpack and tucked the gun in the waistband of her jeans.

Callen closed everything up and turned to her, "Are you sure you want to be a part of this?" He asked.

Nell nodded, "This needs to end."

Grimly Callen took her hand and checking that they were not being watched, she followed him back out to the street and hailed another cab.

* * *

Sam watched the cab drive off as Granger pulled out about four cars behind them. Granger was confident that they hadn't been spotted, but Sam wasn't so sure. He had noticed Callen checking out the cars as he waited for the cab to pick them up, checking again just before Nell had climbed into the back seat and moved for him to join her.

"Why do you think they were in the cemetery?" Granger asked as he let another car overtake them hiding his view from the cab for a second.

"Callen has a stash of weapons and cash all over the city, maybe he has one there." Sam told him.

"Really, I didn't take him for paranoid."

Sam chuckled, "We all have to have some degree of paranoia, or we'd be dead." He pointed out.

Granger nodded, "But why would he and Jones be getting weapons and cash?"

Thinking for a moment Sam turned away, watching the scenery as it flashed past them, envying the people going about their everyday lives where the most complicated things they had to worry about was earning enough to pay the bills.

"Sam." Granger prompted.

Sam shook his head as if to clear it. "I don't know, but to be honest, I don't think I like any of the ideas I'm coming up with either."

He wondered if Callen was planning on leaving with Nell, or had she turned him somehow. After all, he'd been pretty drugged and out of it at the hospital, what if she had convinced him that he was on her side, putting Hetty and the others in danger. If she was the Nell he knew then maybe she wouldn't, but now he knew that she wasn't, she was a Comescu, so maybe she'd warped his sense of values and they were all in danger. Suddenly a thought occurred to him as he started to recognize the neighborhood they were in.

"Hetty lives near here." He told Granger, "G and I were here once. If Nell's turned him she could be in danger, after all she knows Nell is a Comescu."

Grangers face hardened and his foot pressed just a little bit harder on the gas pedal as they moved to catch up.

"Call Hetty," Granger ordered, "Then call Kensi and Deeks, we'll need back up, let them know that Callen and Jones need to be considered an enemy before we know if they are a friend."


	16. Chapter 16

It was getting dark, Callen and Nell had been watching the house all day before they spotted what they had been looking for.

An hour earlier Anna and Arkady had been seen pulling up in a car outside Hetty's home, Anna arguing with her grandfather about something. Nell, noting that Callen couldn't hide the smile that graced his features at the sight of his daughter, gave him one of her own.

As soon as Anna was out of sight, Callen was checking his gun again.

"We will keep them safe Callen." Nell reassured him, "No one else will die on your side because of this feud." She promised.

Callen turned and smiled at her, "I know." He agreed. In his mind the only person who would die now because of this feud was Petre Comescu.

Callen shifted slighting in his seat, "I'm surprised that Hetty hasn't got someone watching her house."

Nell grinned, "Apart from us you mean?" she sighed as she looked at the almost empty street. "I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't got eyes everywhere and a SWAT team on standby." She almost joked, after all, if there were not such a high chance of it being true, it would have been funny.

Hetty sat in her lounge as she watched Arkady check his weapons, Anna sat nearby drinking tea with Hetty.

"You are sure Comescu is coming here?" Arkady asked his rough voice betraying the worry he felt.

"I am sure Arkady." Hetty replied. "I assume that Mr. Callen will not be very far behind."

"This Comescu man will not kill him?" Anna asked her concern was the worst of all in Hetty's mind. The whole point of hiding Anna from Callen and having her raised with Arkady had been to spare her from this feud.

"I'm sure he will not." Hetty reassured her.

"I don't think that is something you can promise Ms Lange." Petre Comescu interrupted as he stepped into view his gun at the ready, trained on her head. "Mr. Kolcheck, Ms. Callen I suggest you move." He waved his weapon and ushered them over to the couch that Hetty was sitting on.

Hetty bristled at the fact that Petre Comescu had managed to circumvent her security so easily as she smiled reassuringly to Anna.

"Now all we have to do is wait for Sabine to bring Callen to the party." Petre smiled and Anna suppressed a shiver.

"We knew you were coming Mr. Comescu, we already have your cousin in custody." Hetty said with a smile.

Strangely enough Petre smiled back.

"My cousin was safely escorted out of the country. I put her on a plane myself. We have enough people in our employ to not have to worry about such things as jail. Joana has another part to play in the demise of the Callen line."

Hetty frowned, she had not been made aware of this and she hoped that the agents that she had sent with Joana Comescu had not been hurt or worse killed.

Ignoring him, Hetty reached over and poured Anna and herself a cup of tea.

* * *

Callen looked at the house from their vantage point.

"Something's wrong." He said as he watched the building.

"What?" Nell asked looking towards the house. Everything seemed ok, she couldn't see anything wrong.

The sun's gone down and Hetty hasn't put the porch light on. She usually does.

Nell looked concerned, "Do you think that Petre has them already?" she asked.

Callen looked at her, "Are you ready to call Petre and ask?"

Nell took her phone out of her purse and looked at it with a sigh. "I'll be glad when you've dealt with him and I never have to be Sabine again."

Callen took the phone from her hand and placed it on the dashboard, holding her hands in his he looked her directly in the eyes.

"Nell, you were never Sabine. She was someone who the Comescu's wanted you to be, not who you are. You will always be the woman I love, my Nell Jones. Optimistic, loving, honest and loyal." He declared.

Nell blinked back a tear and smiled at him.

"That is who I want to be, and I will be. But right now I need to be Sabine. And Petre will expect Sabine to deliver you to him."

Nell pulled her hair back and tied it up with a hair tie.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Callen nodded as he stuck his gun in his waistband and pulled his sweater down to hide it.

Nell got out of the car first and waved her gun.

"Come on Callen." she snapped, just in case Petre had anyone watching.

Callen put his head down to stifle a smirk and raising his hands walked towards Hetty's door.

* * *

"She does have him!" Sam exclaimed as he watched Nell point a gun at Callen.

Granger put a hand on Sam's shoulder, "Something's off." he said frowning, "This seems too easy. I mean, Callen is a trained agent and could easily overpower her."

"Not if she's threatening his family." Sam tried to reason. That had to be it, there could be no other reason he was letting Nell win.

* * *

"Petre!" Nell called as she jabbed the gun into Callen's back and walked him into the lounge.

"Sabine… I wondered if you would come." He smiled triumphantly at the sight of Callen being forced into the room. Callen stumbled a bit and Nell guided him into a chair.

"He's still drugged." She told her uncle, to explain the way he had sloppily landed in a chair.

"Dad?" Anna looked worriedly at her father, who was laying there with his eyes closed.

"He's not too drugged is he, I want to make sure he is conscious when I finish off the last of his family. I won't be killing him though, he killed your father Sabine, I want him to live the remainder of his days knowing he was responsible for the death of all the people he loved."

Callen bit his tongue clamping down on the urge to shoot the man there and then. From the small slit in his eyes as he looked he could see that if he moved right now Petre wouldn't hesitate to shoot his daughter and that was not going to happen on his watch.

"He will be fine in an hour or so." Nell replied.

"Hetty Lange." Petre said turning his attention back to the older woman, "You really thought that you would be able to lock Joana away. She was trained for years to get close to the boy, to make him pay for his family's sins and yet you tried to make peace with my mother for them? You expected her to just let him live his life. You destroyed my family, killed Sabine's father and thought it was all done with. Imagine my glee when I found out he had a family that you had tried to hide from me."

"We did what we needed to do to protect Anna." Hetty said raising her head defiantly at the man.

"Well, that was a bit useless now wasn't it…" Petre walked over to Anna and put his hand under her chin, "Mind you, you've grown up to be a beautiful woman. It's a shame you are a Callen, or I would have had some fun with you."

At that moment Anna was thanking every deity she had ever heard of that she was a Callen and he wouldn't touch her.

Nell moved so she was closer to Anna, "We can't stay here for long, we should just leave them and go." She urged, she didn't want to leave Callen, but if that was what it took to make Petre leave them in peace it would be worth it. After all as long as they were safe she could always make her escape later on.

"NO!" Petre snarled as she moved, "Callen will pay for what he did to your father and my mother."

Nell shook her head, "Callen didn't kill Alexa, Lauren Hunter did and she's dead now."

"It's semantics." Petre snapped, "Hunter was working for Lange, we know this, she was still working for the Callen's even if she didn't know it. It is all _his_ fault." He levelled his gun at Hetty, "Maybe you should go first old woman… or the man…" He turned to Nell, "Wake Callen up, we will shoot his father first, see how he likes that. He can watch his father die…"

Nell put her hand on his shoulder and shook him roughly. "Wake up Callen." She snapped, her hand imperceptibly giving him a gentle squeeze.

Callen blinked groggily, "What? Where…. Nell?" His hand moved, unnoticed to the small of his back.

Petre turned, a look of triumph on his face, "You will get to watch now, as those you love die."

Callen smirked back at him. "I don't think so Comescu." He replied as he pulled his gun on Petre holding it steady. "It's over."

Petre's face fell in horror, "No...no… this was not how it was meant to be?", He lifted his gun to shoot Callen and the air was torn with a loud bang.

Callen stopped, he hadn't fired his gun, had Petre shot him?

Petre swayed, a look of horror on his face, "Sabine?"

Nell moved and stepped towards her uncle. "Nell… my name is Nell Jones." She informed him. "You will never harm him."

Petre slumped to the ground his eyes glassy as Sam and Granger burst in.

* * *

"Nell, drop the gun." Sam warned her.

"No… Sam… Don't it's not what you think." Callen argued as he moved to protect her.

"She's armed and she's pointing a gun in Hetty's direction and there's a dead guy on the floor." Sam argued

"She was protecting me. That's Petre Comescu, he was going to kill me." Callen replied

"She's a Comescu as well." Sam told his friend the sadness in his voice evident.

Callen shook his head. "She may have been born a Comescu, but she's a Jones… And… Sam, I love her."

Sam blinked for a moment in surprise. "Really?"

Callen nodded and looked towards Anna, "Are you ok honey?" he asked.

She smiled and moved to wrap her arms around her father, "I'm fine dad. Is it all over now?"

Callen nodded and as Nell handed Sam the gun. "It's all over now. Sam, we good?"

"We will be." Sam sighed, "When you stop disappearing on us."

Callen smiled, "I'm not going anywhere." he pulled Nell in with his other arm and turned to Hetty, "You can get the warrant against Nell quashed can't you?" He asked.

Hetty nodded, "Now we know where Miss Jones stands, I am sure it will not be a problem."


End file.
